Air Force Academy – The Air Force men’s basketball team faces physical mismatches at times but is using the 3-point shot as a great equalizer in a storybook season. The barrage has helped the Falcons (15-2) to the best record among Division I teams in the West.
While some teams view 3-point field goals as desperation shots, Air Force looks at the 19-foot, 9-inch arc as friendly territory. Air Force is shooting 42.9 percent beyond the arc, which ranks fourth nationally. The Falcons’ 9.6 3-pointers per game is sixth in the country.
“It helps negate some of our other weaknesses,” first-year Air Force coach Jeff Bzdelik said. “Every team is defined by certain weaknesses. Three- point shooting is an area that has shown to be one of our strengths, but it also is a variable. But that’s who we are.”
San Diego State coach Steve Fisher said the shot helps define the Falcons.
“I don’t see how anyone could do it better that Air Force, for two reasons,” Fisher said. “It’s the way they are able to create the 3-point look, and that so many of their players can burn you. They all can shoot it, and that makes them dangerous. They really have improved on attacking off the dribble to create 3-point shots, and that’s as much a factor as their threat for the backdoor layup.”
In Air Force’s 65-62 victory over the Aztecs on Jan. 7, the Falcons hit 13-of-26 3-pointers.
“All of my players have the green light to shoot as long as they are open 3s and within the framework of our offense,” Bzdelik said. “I sometimes get upset when they don’t take an open shot. Having players who all can pass, dribble and shoot makes it difficult for our opponents to defend them.”
Air Force has been able to overcome its lack of a consistent inside game with the help of a long-range attack in which the top six players are threats.
Bzdelik’s team is shooting around the same number of 3s as last year’s team, but doing it much more efficiently. A season ago, the Falcons shot 36.5 percent from 3-point range and averaged 8.9 3s per game.
The Falcons have been particularly dangerous from long range at home, where they are 10-0 heading into tonight’s Mountain West Conference game against Utah, while shooting 46.6 percent from the 3-point range at Clune Arena.
“I wouldn’t say we live and die by the 3-point field goal,” starting guard Matt McCraw said. “We run our offense hard all the way through, and if the defense makes a mistake, we have to capitalize. We always want the best shot we can get in a timely manner, and sometimes that’s a 3-point shot.”
Guard Tim Anderson said the threat of the 3-point shot from all five positions helps spread out a defense.
“It’s a balanced offense,” Anderson said. “If they overplay on the 3-point shots, we have the backdoor threat as well. We’re blessed with some great 3-point shooters who aren’t afraid to shoot it and a coach who has the confidence to let us shoot those shots.”
Air Force’s 380 3-point field- goal attempts rank third nationally among the top 50 teams in 3-point percentage. Leader Montana State has 398 3-point attempts.
But Bzdelik said another statistic every bit as key: his team’s lack of turnovers. The Falcons are averaging just 10.8 turnovers per game, trailing only Temple (7.4), West Virginia (9.0) and Butler (9.9). The lack of turnovers, combined with its 3-point excellence, makes Air Force’s one of the most efficient offenses around.
When those shots aren’t dropping, however, Bzdelik knows his team is at a disadvantage.
The Falcons were upset last week at Wyoming, its second loss of the season. Despite a whopping 41-18 rebounding disadvantage, the Falcons were in the game to the end but lost, 55-50, by shooting a season-low 26.3 percent from 3-point range.
Staff writer Irv Moss can be reached at 303-820-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com.
