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Home > Blogs > Wright State University sports > Archives > 2010 > December > 07 > Entry
Despite mass injuries, Air Force improving after difficult seasons
Coach Jeff Reynolds and his Air Force Academy basketball team flew to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base late Monday night. By NCAA rule, a single-game road trip can’t take more than 48 hours, and because a dinner with Air Force, Wright State and Wright-Patterson officials was scheduled for Tuesday evening, the Falcons had to fly late Monday to make it happen.
“I’ll tell you this,” Reynolds said. “We got off the plane at midnight, walked out onto the jet way, and I can assure you it’s a lot colder here (in Ohio) then it is in Colorado Springs.”
But things have been warmer for Reynolds and his Falcons lately. After going 10-21 last season, including 1-15 in the Mountain West Conference, Air Force is 5-1 entering its game against Wright State at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Nutter Center.
That includes a recent victory against Evansville, which topped Butler in its previous game. The Falcons are doing it with strong defense (holding opponents to the fifth-lowest shooting percentage in the nation) and despite injuries to five players 6 feet 8 or taller.
“We’re pretty well beat up,” Reynolds said.
Tom Fow, a 6-6 senior guard, leads the team at 15.8 points per game, and he’s one of four players 6-6 or shorter in the Falcons’ starting lineup (6-10 sophomore Taylor Broekhuis is the exception).
The AFA roster also includes two Ohio natives in Evan Washington, from Reynoldsburg, and Scott Stucky, from Dublin. Hoping to allow them to play near their hometowns, Reynolds called several schools in Ohio. Wright State, with its proximity to Wright-Patterson, was high on the list.
“We called Ohio State,” Reynolds said, “but they didn’t want to return the game.”
Reynolds first became familiar with Wright State as a coach at the Division II level in North Carolina when the Raiders were a D-II power. He was on the coaching staff at North Carolina-Wilmington that preceded Jerry Wainwright (who hired assistant coach Brad Brownell, who later became the Wright State coach). WSU coach Billy Donlon came to UNC-Wilmington as a freshman point guard the year after the staff including assistant coach Reynolds and head coach Kevin Eastman left for Washington State.
He perked up during our conversation when I asked if he had heard of local player Ben Rhoda, the Centerville product who committed to play for the Air Force Academy as a senior in 2001. Rhoda, though, failed his academy physical because of an undisclosed illness, and he went on to a strong career at East Tennessee State.
“I know of Ben Rhoda very well,” Reynolds said. “He would’ve played for us when I was an assistant if things had worked out. I know he went on to be a great player in Tennessee.”
That’s part of the struggle in recruiting for Reynolds, who must ask and investigate many more things than other coaches even in his own conference.
“If as a kid you were diagnosed with asthma, you can’t get in,” Reynolds said. “If you’ve had a severely broken bone, like a neck or a back. You can get waiver upon waiver upon waiver, but that’s a long process. If you have a peanut allergy, you can’t get in.
“There are a lot of things you have to ask about, but we’ve put together a good team. We’re beat up, and we’re a little small now, but I think we’re playing well.”
Permalink | Comments (10) | Post your comment | Categories: Men's Basketball
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By Barney
December 7, 2010 10:15 PM | Link to this
As a raider fan it absolutely BAFFLES ME that WSU is so proud about scheduling this WSU v Airforce game! Can someone please explain it to me? No offense but Airforce sucks and if we ever want to be a better team, we need to stop scheduling these duds!!! It makes me so mad
By null
December 8, 2010 3:11 AM | Link to this
Raider fan Air Force is two words, however, VICTORY is one. Just remember that once AF kicks WSU behind. MWC v. MCC enough said. Can’t believe AF has lowered its standards to come to WSU?
By Big Ed
December 8, 2010 9:27 PM | Link to this
Haha…woooowww air force got whooped tonight!! They suck more than I thought they did
By hfvdbfdafvasdfbaush
December 8, 2010 11:34 PM | Link to this
its funny that you guys think air force sucks. they are three years removed from a NCAA tournament appearance. just like the lowly wright state raiders. i was at the game tonight. there were more air force fans than wright state fans. as a student at the school, i will continue to go to wright state games. which gives me great opportunity to see how bad horizon league teams are. the student section is terrible and there arent many fans at the games anyway.wright state will never be good. daytons team will continue to be the University of Dayton Flyers. enjoy your night.
By hfvdbfdafvasdfbaush Smallcock
December 8, 2010 11:56 PM | Link to this
Yep. UD couldn’t even hang with UC, but WSU played them tough. The HL is no weaker than the A-10, so I don’t get the trash talk. Dumbarse UD fans.
By Scott
December 9, 2010 7:49 AM | Link to this
Actually the Horizon is curretnly ranked higher than the A-10. I was at the game and there were a lot more fans the for WSU than Ar Force. It is obvious you are a liar, and only want to bash WSU
By Bill in the Burg
December 9, 2010 12:21 PM | Link to this
There were definitely more Raiders fans there. The Air Force crowd had nothing to cheer about until their end-of-the-bench player Stucky got in for 2 minutes and scored a couple baskets.
By WSU 88
December 9, 2010 2:00 PM | Link to this
I was at the game and thought it great that Air Force and WSU are playing. This is a great way to cement relations between the University and the WPAFB. I hope this becomes a long lasting series.
By air force father
December 9, 2010 3:03 PM | Link to this
the clowns saying Air Force sucks, that shows you have no class what so ever…none. This was a quality team and quality young men. IF they would have had all their players WSU would have lost. I just wished WSU would have offered free tickets to base personal or airmen, every other game is free. They are also a major upgrade over the TWO D2 teams WSU is playing.
By BennyJet
December 10, 2010 7:43 PM | Link to this
Hey Bill, That end of the bench player, Stucky, fought back from two torn acls and two surgeries to play that night…and your personal triumphs? Yea, thought so! Most negative people don’t know the feeling of triumph……..