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It didn't take long for the Air Force hoopsters to return to their cellar-dwelling ways. Only two seasons removed from back to back 20-plus win seasons (24-7 in 2005-06; 26-9 in 2006-07), the Cadets are 9-11 through 20 games--their worst 20-game record since an 8-12 mark in 2001-02.
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The Falcons are on an 8-game losing streak, the longest skid since Air Force lost the last seven games of the 2001-02 season and the opener of the 2002-03 campaign. It's the Cadets first single-season eight-game losing streak since 1998-99, when Air Force also had its last 8-game conference skid. A loss to BYU would make it eight straight league losses. The 0-7 start to conference play is the worst league start since the Cadets opened WAC play 0-13 in 1993-94.
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In recent years, Clune Arena was one of the nation's most difficult venues in which to win. This year, the Air Force homecourt mystique has been neutralized.
The Falcons' six home losses this season equal the number of home losses in the last five seasons combined, and a loss to BYU would give Air Force as many conference home losses this season as the Cadets suffered in the last five seasons combined.
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Air Force's return to also-ran status has been stunning in both the sudden nature of the Cadets' demise, and in the manner by which the Falcons are falling.
Air Force's recent resurgence was built on a few key factors: three-point accuracy, ball security, and precision offense resulting assists on a high percentage of field goals made.
In conference play this season, the Falcons are last in three-point field goals made, last in three-point percentage, last in field goal percentage, last in assists per game, and next-to-last in assist-to-turnover ratio. Practically everything the Falcons used to do well, they now do poorly.
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While the Falcons have never attracted the cream of the recruiting crop, their early-to-mid-decade success was keyed by special all-conference players like Tom Bellairs, Joel Gerlach, Tim Keller, Nick Welch, A.J. Kuhle, Antoine Hood, Matt McCraw, Jacob Burtschi, Dan Nwaelele and Tim Anderson. This year's roster features three seniors (Anwar Johnson, Matt Holland and Andrew Henke), but none who have risen to the caliber of all-league performers.
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