No matter who is taking a look, Air Force faces a David vs. Goliath matchup Thursday in San Diego when it plays Illinois in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
And there’s no doubt which role the Falcons are suiting up for.
“When you look at the two teams player for player, you say no way for Air Force,” said Texas-Pan American coach Robert Davenport, whose team lost to both teams. “But you put Air Force’s players in that system, a system they believe in, anything can happen. If they can stay close and if their confidence is up, Air Force can make it a game.”
Illinois (25-6) defeated Texas-Pan American 71-59, and Air Force (24-6) won 81-68.
“I was surprised when I saw them in the tournament,” Davenport said of Air Force. “I didn’t follow them closely after we played them. But when I looked at their record and saw they won 24 games, it makes sense that they are in.”
Even Illini coach Bruce Weber isn’t ducking the fact his team is a huge favorite.
“I’m sure statistically it might look that way,” Weber said Monday during a conference call. “Air Force was one of the last teams to make the field. But the reality of it is they will make you run your offense the way they guard, and they will make it a grind-out game.”
The Illini have two of the top players in the country, 6-foot senior guard Dee Brown and 6-10 senior forward James Augustine, who were central to the Illini making it to the NCAA title game a year ago, which they lost to North Carolina.
But even with those two all- Big Ten players, Weber said the play of 6-8 sophomore forward Brian Randle and 6-3 junior guard Rich McBride will be the key to how far this year’s team can advance.
“Brian has had some spectacular moments for us,” Weber said. “And our last 10 games, Rich has been pretty effective for us. They’re important cogs in our performance.”
The big question is whether Air Force can keep up with the speed and strength of Illinois, which likes to force the pace.
“They’re not used to scoring quick baskets,” Weber said of the Falcons. “A 10-point lead against them is like a 15- to 18- point lead against anybody else. But Air Force plays a very good matchup system on defense. You’re not sure if it’s a zone or man-to-man. I’m not sure if they know.”
Weber didn’t seem too concerned about his team’s ability to cope with Air Force’s Princeton-style offense. He noted the Illini played Northwestern and Georgetown during the regular season and both use a variation of the same offense.
Staff writer Irv Moss can be reached at 303-820-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com.
