Feb. 26, 2002
Moderator: (12:01 PM ET ) TheMWC.com and ESPN.com would like to welcome Air Force head men's basketball coach Joe Scott.
Jeri (Fort Worth, Texas): The success of the young players we have makes me think that they can make it to the NCAA or NIT in the next few year. Do you think we have a chance for a post-season tournament soon, and, if so, what are the keys to getting there?
Joe Scott: (12:03 PM ET ) The keys to us getting to that point is the continued development of our players. We are a young team and are getting used to the riggers of college basketball. We are having a good recruiting year, including some much needed size. I do see us getting over .500 first and then once we get to that point coming out of this league, post-season is a reality.
Curtis (Colorado Springs): Do you have any superstitions?
Joe Scott: (12:04 PM ET ) I've got millions of them, I am a coach. I don't think of my superstitions, they come and they go. People make a big thing of me not watching our guys shoot foul shots, if I don't watch and they make it I probably won't watch again.
Sharon (ABQ.): Air Force is such a scary team this season because they are capable of defeating anyone. Has this motivated the players in any way?
Joe Scott: (12:06 PM ET ) I think it has. I think it's the first time people here, at the Air Force Academy see a different team. A team that plays and competes on a consistent basis, night in and night out. We're in this league to compete and win. The more you think about winning the more you do it. Then you get to the point of doing it without thinking about it.
Eugene OR: How many MWC teams have earned the right to play in the NCAA tourney? Wyoming and Utah in my mind certainly deserve to be in the tournament. What are your thoughts?
Joe Scott: (12:08 PM ET ) I agree, Wyoming and Utah deserve to be in the NCAA Tournament. Utah's RPI is so high and that is a factor. I believe Wyoming's league road record gives them the right to be in the tournament. It sets them apart. I believe the last couple of games will determine if we'll get a third team. If you go 9-5 in league and win a game or two in the MWC tournament it's possible for a third team to get in.
Patrick (Chicago): Congratulations on building a better basketball program at Air Force. With the young players you have, it will be great to see your system develop over the next few years.
What is the most important thing you teach your players?
Joe Scott: (12:10 PM ET ) When taking over a program, the most important thing you teach your players is to improve their daily work habits. They have to be gym rats. Getting to the gym early and then once practice starts, doing everything as hard as you can. In the post-season it's lifting weights and playing every day. Great work habits give you a chance to improve and be successful once the games begin.
H.C.BYUfan (Reno): How do you feel about the 4 o.t. loss against Wyoming and then only a three point loss at home to them? Because at this time they are No. 1 in the Mountain West.
Joe Scott: (12:12 PM ET ) I think the way we have played says volumes about the growth of the program maybe not in terms of wins and losses but in the consistency of the program. As we get older and stronger and learn the system better and gain more confidence in one another the wins and losses will come and we'll take the next step.
Idge (Columbus, Ohio): You've experienced some new found success, by Air Force's standards, in winning on the road this year. What is the key for your team to win on the road?
Joe Scott: (12:15 PM ET ) Our road success comes from stressing a certain mentality to winning on the road. You have to be prepared for the ups and downs you'll face on the road. There will be times that opportunities present themselves on the road and you have to take advantage of those and make key plays. Playing our style lends itself to success on the road as does playing consistent.
Joe (USAFA): You are doing a great job so far by changing the attitudes and expectations of the players. Losing was considered acceptable for far too long here. I think your next big challenge is getting some better fan support. To that end, scheduling some bigger non-conference names would be helpful. I know that many ranked schools don't want to play here because it would hurt their RPI, but how about scheduling CU, Army, Navy and maybe even Princeton? I would really love to see you guys go up to the Kennel to play Gonzaga. They have trouble getting anybody to play them in Spokane and I think it would be a great match up. Congratulations again on a fine job so far!
Joe Scott: (12:18 PM ET ) Scheduling is very difficult. The only teams that want to come here are maybe mid-majors. We'd like to play a marquee Pac-10 or Big Ten team here annually but they may not want to come here. Everyone wants to play someone they know they can beat so certain teams may not want to come here. We've gone to a complete Division I schedule in order to help us once league begins and I think it has shown.
Mike (Princeton): How have you adjusted to the difference in recruiting from Princeton to Air Force?
Joe Scott: (12:21 PM ET ) I was at Princeton for eight years and during the course of my eight years our recruiting changed, we went from being good to very good and that changed our approach. It opened up more doors to us. Here we recruit massively, my assistants do a great job of seeing as many guys as we can and then we compile a list of who we like and who we like a lot. It's a greater task to recruit at Air Force than at Princeton. You have to work very hard at it.
Pakboy: Who is the greatest team you have ever faced?
Joe Scott: (12:23 PM ET ) As a player, I played against the 1987 national championship team, Indiana, with Steve Alford. From a coaching standpoint, when I was at Princeton we played No. 1 ranked North Carolina with Vince Carter in Chapel Hill.
Jon (Lawrenceville): How closely do you stay in touch with Coach Thompson @ Princeton and Coach Carmody @ Northwestern. What advice have they had for you?
Joe Scott: (12:26 PM ET ) I stay in close contact with both of them and talk to them frequently. Both are very supportive. Coach Carmody and I have had a lot of things to talk about as we've been placed in a similar situation. I am a big fan of Princeton and I let Coach Thompson know that there are people out there rooting for him.
Pasquale (South Bend): Do you regionalize your recruiting to certain areas of the country or does Air Force have the ability to recruit from all areas of the country -- if that is true, how do you tackle such a mammoth task ?
Joe Scott: (12:28 PM ET ) If there is one thing that makes recruiting here difficult is that we have to recruit nationally, as Air Force is a national school. In addition, we do recruit certain areas heavily because there are players in those areas that are more interested in playing at Air Force. We're looking for good young basketball players nation wide that are smart. My assistants have done a good job to see as many of those kids as possible.
Austin, TX: What were Air Force's three biggest non-conference wins this season in your opinion?
Joe Scott: (12:33 PM ET ) We beat Arkansas State here early in the season and at the time they were undefeated. Then obviously winning at Northern Arizona was a very good win for us because they are a very tough team at home. Not many teams beat them in Flagstaff. Third, Montana State. They seem to be rolling through the Big Sky conference and we had a 10-14 point lead on them throughout the game.
Moderator: (12:33 PM ET ) That is all the time that coach Scott has for us today. Come back Wednesday at 8 a.m. PST for a chat with UNLV senior forward Linda Fröhlich.
