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The Air Force Academy recently won their first road game in two years. They list 23 players on their roster because they do not have any "true" NCAA grant in aid scholarships. All the cadets are on a "free ride" thanks to your generous tax dollars.

The AF Academy roster is deceiving because many of the players spent a "5th year" at the Air Force Academy Preparatory School, a 9 month program designed to prepare high school graduates for the rigors of the AF Academy. They do have some height.

The military academies will stockpile athletes at their Preparatory School so they can get older, bigger, faster, and stronger. I have personally recommended this option to a couple of very talented, but only 17 years of age, basketball players. Conversely, the Academies do not have a true Redshirt option because they matriculate over a four year timeframe. I always wondered if they could get a "fifth year" due to a medical situation. I do not know.

I am slightly concerned about the altitude in Colorado Springs and I hope the coaches run the players and exhaust them to somewhat simulate the relative lack of oxygen environ that they will play in. Others say this is not big deal.

On paper, we should be favored. However, it is the road.

From what is available today UE would be a 4-6 point underdog. We'll see what changes happen after today's win at Butler

My son trained at the Olympic Training Center years ago and said the altitude didn't bother him any. I know personally that hiking in the area made me huff and puff and I don't smoke. With the numbers UE is capable of playing I'm not too concerned.

This is one road game we should be able to pull out. And is now a game we can not blow, coming off the big win tonight. Basketball is a funny game. Some games you play really well and match up well. Others you play, well like we did in the second half against IU and Middle Tenn St. I believe Air Force should be a game we match up well against. Usually, Air Force is a well discplined team but not the most athletic teams. They usually can shoot the ball well and do lots of cutting and screening, looking for backdoors.

From the looks of the other threads, some people can't wait till we fall on our faces. It will happen sometime, I just hope it doesn't happen Sunday. And we can have some confidence when the Tar Heels stroll into town on Dec. 8th.

I do not think the serious basketball fans and posters want to see us fall on our face. They understand that a good OOC record for Evansville is good for the Valley. Ignore the immature posters who like to throw stones because they can.

I heard several people say the Butler win was a "program changer". For that to be true, this is one of those games that the Aces need to win or at least be competitive in, since it's a roadie. I don't believe one win this early in the season can, by itself, be a program changer, even from a recruiting aspect. The Aces need to build on it.

I was pleased to hear of the Butler win and hope UE can continue to play well throughout the non-con. It's good for the Valley.

Royalshock, I agree 100%. One win does not change a program. That win gives the players confidence that being competitive will lead to more close games and that may translate to more wins. Again, a 1 point win vice a two point loss: Basketball so many times comes down to one possession or dumb plain luck.

RoyalShock wrote:I heard several people say the Butler win was a "program changer". For that to be true, this is one of those games that the Aces need to win or at least be competitive in, since it's a roadie. I don't believe one win this early in the season can, by itself, be a program changer, even from a recruiting aspect. The Aces need to build on it.

I was pleased to hear of the Butler win and hope UE can continue to play well throughout the non-con. It's good for the Valley.

To be fair, the words program changer came by our play by play guy and may have been repeated by one other poster. I'm not sure how many people actually believe that. I just hope it gives them enough momentum to get past Air Force. It is possible at the end of the season to ask what one game turned things around for UE and people will no doubt look at this game. But there is still a lot of basketball to be played to determine if that will be true or not.

I'm still not that optimistic, one win does not make your season. You have to build off that. I'm still, not to naive to think that one win vaults us to the top. I'm still hoping we get out of the Thursday play in game. The Butler win shows, we could possibly battle for 5th-6th spot but you have to be able to sustain it for an entire season not just one game.

Air Force lost to a D3 program earlier this year, too:

http://www.gazette.com/articles/mueh-10 ... -jeff.html


Falcons playing a lot of minutes due to injuries:

http://www.gazette.com/sports/fow-10885 ... nolds.html