Dec. 27, 2006
Complete Release in PDF Format
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Site
Leavey Center (4,500), Santa Clara, Calif.
Radio
The Air Force Basketball Network. Locally on NewsRadio 740 KVOR in Colorado Springs and KYOL 1510 AM in Denver. KVOR's Jim Arthur handles the play-by-play.
TV
None
Live Stats
www.goairforcefalcons.com (Gametracker)
Recent Results
Air Force defeated Norfolk State, 70-47, on Dec. 13 at Clune Arena. AFA's game vs. Northern Colorado on Dec. 23 was postponed due to snow. George Washington defeated Maryland-Baltimore County, 72-51, on Dec. 12.
Coaches
Air Force is coached by Jeff Bzdelik (Illinois-Chicago, 1976), who is in his second season as head coach. Bzdelik returned to the college game last year after 15 seasons as a coach and scout in the NBA, most recently as head coach of the Denver Nuggets. Bzdelik has a collegiate career record of 60-39, including a 35-8 mark at Air Force.
George Washington is coached by Karl Hobbs (Connecticut, 1985), who is in his sixth year with the Colonials. He is 98-58 during his tenure at GW.
Series
This is the first meeting between the two teams.
11-1 Ties Best Start Ever
Air Force's 11-1 record ties the best start ever in program history after 12 games, equalling the team's record from last season.
Highest Ranking Ever, Again
The Falcons moved up two spots to No. 17 in this week's USA Today/ESPN Coaches poll and one spot to No. 23 in the Associated Press poll. Both of those rankings are the highest ever in program history. Air Force's previous high in the AP poll was 25th on March 8, 2004. That marked the first and only time the Falcons were ranked in either poll before Monday, Dec. 4. This week's polls can be found on page 4 of this release.
Cable Car Classic
Air Force makes its first appearance ever in the Cable Car Classic. The Falcons play George Washington in the first round at 8 p.m. (PT) on Thursday, Dec. 23. Host Santa Clara and Colgate face off in the other first-round game. This is the second tournament for the Falcons this season, as they finished third in the CBE Classic in November, downing Texas Tech in the third-place game.
Up Next
The Falcons open play in the Mountain West Conference on Wednesday, Jan. 3 against Colorado State in Fort Collins, Colo.
Burtschi Named Preseason All-MWC
Senior forward Jacob Burtschi was selected to the preseason All-Mountain West Conference team at the league's media day in Las Vegas, Nev.
The Chickasha, Okla. product earned second-team honors by the conference following the 2005-06 season after finishing second on the team in scoring, averaging 12.4 points per game, and leading the MWC with a school-record 71 steals.
Burtschi led the Falcons in rebounding at 6.1 rebounds per game, which placed him ninth in the league.
This is the fourth consecutive year an Air Force player has been selected to the team. Senior Nick Welch was picked each of the past two years and Tim Keller was selected prior to the 2003-04 season. The only other MWC school to have a player on the team each of the last four years is Colorado State.
2006-07 Preseason All-MWC
Jacob Burtschi, Sr., F, Air Force
Trent Plaisted, So., F/C, BYU
Jason Smith, Jr., F, Colorado State
Mohamed Abukar, Sr., F, San Diego State
Brandon Heath, Sr., G, San Diego State
Top Returning Player
Brandon Heath, Sr., G, San Diego State
Top Freshman
Stephen Weigh, G/F, Utah
Last Time Out
Air Force 70, Norfolk State 47
Dec. 13, 2006, USAFA, Colo.
USAFA, Colo. (AP) -- Jacob Burtschi scored a team-high 14 points as No. 24 Air Force dropped Norfolk State, 70-47, at Clune Arena.
Dan Nwaelele donated 12 points while Andrew Henke and Matt McCraw each added 11 for Air Force (11-1), which has won seven in a row.
Tony Murphy paced all scorers with 15 points but went just 4-of-14 from the floor for the Spartans (1-5), who dropped to 0-4 away from home this season.
Calvin Brown had 11 points and four blocks, and Corey Lyons scored nine points in defeat.
The Falcons used an 11-0 burst in the early stages of the first half to take control. McCraw started the run with a three-pointer, and Nick Welch polished things off with a lay-in with 10:04 to play to make it 16-5.
Air Force continued to pull away as the first half wore on, and doubled up its opponent, 30-15, following a three-ball by Burtschi with under two minutes to play. At the break, the Falcons led 35-19.
Notes from the Norfolk State Game
Team
-- Air Force is 11-1 for the second consecutive year and second time in program history
-- Air Force's 11 victories ties for the national lead with Oklahoma State
-- Air Force had a season-high 24 assists, the most in one game since 25 vs. Long Beach St., Nov. 21, 2000
-- Air Force made a season-high 15 three-pointers
-- Air Force has shot better than 50 percent from the floor each of its last five games
-- Air Force has won 23 consecutive home games, the third-longest streak in the country
-- Air Force has won 31 consecutive home games vs. non-conference opponents
-- Air Force is the first MWC team to win 11 games this season
Individual
-- Andrew Henke scored a career-high 11 points
-- Henke tied his career-high with three assists
-- Matt Holland tied his career-high with two assists
Three-Point Streak
Air Force has made a three-point shot in 427 consecutive games. The last time the Falcons failed to make a three-pointer was Dec. 4, 1991 in a 57-51 victory over Adams State College.
Falcons in National Stats
Senior Dan Nwaelele is ranked sixth in the country for three-point percentage (57.4 percent) in the latest NCAA Division I statistics (Dec. 17). Nwaelele, who is No. 2 in the Mountain West Conference in 3-point shooting (31-for-54), is shooting 61.8 percent (55-89) from the field this season.
Junior Tim Anderson is 28th in the country in free-throw shooting at 91.1 percent, while teammate Matt McCraw is 31st on the same list, shooting 90.3 percent from the line this season.
Falcons Picked Third in MWC Poll
Air Force was picked third in the 2006-07 preseason media poll released at the Mountain West Conference media day in Las Vegas, Nev., on Oct. 26. The Falcons received three first-place votes, the second-most in the conference.
School (First Place Votes), Pts
1. San Diego State (17), 192
2. BYU (1), 156
3. Air Force (3), 147
4. Utah, 114
5. New Mexico, 101
6. UNLV, 99
7. Colorado State, 68
8. Wyoming, 51
9. TCU, 27
Third Place at CBE Classic
Air Force finished third at the 16-team College Basketball Experience Classic with a 67-53 victory over Texas Tech on Nov. 21 in the third-place game in Kansas City, Mo. Duke defeated the Falcons, 71-56, in the semifinals.
McCraw Named to All-Tourney Team
Senior Matt McCraw was named to the CBE Classic all-tournament team after scoring a season-high 18 points and grabbing a team-high six rebounds against Texas Tech in the third-place game. McCraw scored nine points in the semis vs. Duke.
CBE Classic Regional Champs
With its 79-45 victory over Stanford on Nov. 15, Air Force captured the Stanford Region of the CBE Classic and was the only non-home team to advance to the CBE Classic semifinals in Kansas City. Duke, Texas Tech and Marquette were the other teams at the tournament.
Burtschi Named Region MVP
Senior Jacob Burtschi was named the most valuable player for the Stanford Region of the CBE Classic. Burtschi averaged 23 points and 8.5 rebounds in the two games, including a 24-point, 12-rebound performance against Stanford on Wednesday, the third double-double of his career.
Burtschi Sets Career Steals Mark
With his two steals against Radford on Nov. 22, senior Jacob Burtschi became the all-time steals leader at Air Force. He currently has 156, seven more than Raymond Dudley, who played from `86-90.
Nwaelele is All-Time 3-Pt% Leader
Seniors Dan Nwaelele and Matt McCraw are in a heated battle for the No. 1 spot on Air Force's career list for three-point percentage. Following his 14-for-19 (73.7%) performance the last four games, Nwaelele has increased his lead. He is shooting 47.6 percent (128-269) from behind the arc, while McCraw is at 46.2 percent (163-353). Third place on the list is Raymond Dudley, the school's career scoring leader, at 39.6 percent (285-720).
Home Win Streak at 23
The Falcons have a 23-game winning streak at Clune Arena. The team's current home-court winning streak is the third-longest in the nation, behind Gonzaga and Connecticut.
Non-Conference Home Streak at 31
With its 70-47 victory over Norfolk State on Wednesday, Dec. 13, Air Force has a 31-game winning streak at home against non-conference opponents.
The last loss at home to a non-Mountain West team at Clune Arena was against Tennessee Tech on Dec. 29, 2001 (64-44).
Nearly Unbeatable at Clune
The Falcons have been close to unbeatable at Clune Arena the last four seasons. Including the final home game of the 2002-03 season (a 68-60 victory over New Mexico), Air Force has won 47 of its last 48 home games. The team was 13-0 in `03-04, 12-1 in `04-05 (lost to Utah, 65-56), 15-0 last season and 6-0 this year.
AFA's 46-1 home record since the beginning of the 2003-04 season is the second-best in the country for winning percentage, behind Gonzaga.
Falcons vs. the ACC
With its 1-1 record this season, (defeated Wake Forest, lost to Duke), Air Force is now 3-8 overall against teams in the ACC, with all three victories coming in the last two seasons.
The Falcons' defeated Miami and Georgia Tech last year, giving them a 2-0 mark last season against one of the top conferences in the country.
The Falcons were 0-7 against ACC teams entering the `05-06 season. In the past, AFA posted two wins against teams that are currently in the ACC (Georgia Tech in 1972 and Florida State in 1965), but those teams were not in the ACC at the time of the game.
Nwaelele Shares MWC Award
Senior Dan Nwaelele and Colorado State junior Jason Smith were named Mountain West Conference Men's Basketball Co-Players of the Week on Dec. 4.
A 6-5 forward from Bothell, Wash., Nwaelele averaged 18.5 points and four rebounds per game as the Falcons pushed their win streak to four games. Nwaelele contributed 11 points and five boards in a 94-58 rout of Wake Forest on Wednesday, then pumped in a career-high 26 points in a 78-66 win over IPFW on Saturday. Nwaelele was almost perfect against IPFW, making 6-of-7 from the field, including all three of his 3-point attempts, and was 11-of-11 from the free-throw line.
Smith, a 7-0 center from Kersey, Colo., averaged 19.5 points and seven rebounds per game to help the Rams extend their win streak to four games. Smith narrowly missed a double-double with 24 points and nine rebounds in an 81-73 win over Denver on Wednesday, going 9-of-10 from the field. On Saturday, the junior center added 15 points and five rebounds in an 84-83 thriller over Kansas State.
All Five Starters in Double Figures
All five of Air Force's starters are averaging in double figures this season. Dan Nwaelele leads the way at 14.3 points per game, followed by Jacob Burtschi (13.7), Matt McCraw (11.2), Nick Welch (10.8) and Tim Anderson (10.4).
AFA in the Computer Rankings
The Falcons posted their highest ratings ever in the Sagarin ratings and CollegeRPI earlier this season. The Falcons were No. 13 in the Sagarin on Nov. 30 following the victory over Wake Forest, and No. 14 in CollegeRPI on Nov. 20. The Falcons are currently No. 16 in Sagarin and No. 33 in CollegeRPI (as of Dec. 26).
First Top Ten Opponent Since `98
Duke was the Falcons' first opponent ranked in the Top Ten since AFA played fifth-ranked Utah on Feb. 21, 1998. The Falcons have never beaten a Top Ten team.
Fourth NCAA Appearance in History
Air Force made its fourth appearance in the NCAA Tournament last season, falling to Illinois, 78-69, in the first round. The Falcons lost to North Carolina in the first round of the 2004 NCAA Tournament, 63-52, which was their first time in the "Big Dance" since 1962, when the Falcons lost in the first round, 68-66, to Texas Tech. Air Force's other appearance in the NCAA tournament was in 1960, losing in the first round to DePaul, 69-63.
24 Wins Set New School Record
Air Force finished the 2005-06 campaign with a 24-7 record. The 24 victories are the most wins in one season in the history of the program. The previous mark was 22 set by the 2003-04 team.
Tied for Eighth with 11 Wins
The Falcons are tied for the eighth in the country for most victories with 11 as of Dec. 26. Seven teams, including Oklahoma State and Marquette, have 12 wins. Air Force is tied with 13 teams, including Duke, Pittsburgh, UNLV, UCLA, Florida and Michigan.
First to 11 in MWC
With their victory over Norfolk State on Dec. 13, the Falcons became the first Mountain West Conference team to win 11 games this season. Air Force tops the league standings with its 11-1 record.
Second Time With 30-Point Wins
Air Force's 36-point victory at Stanford and 38-point win at Colorado marked just the second time in school history that the Falcons have won consecutive games by 30 points or more.
The first time was in the program's inaugural season of 1956-57, when AFA defeated Colorado College, 104-53, and Eastern New Mexico, 102-69. Both of those games were at home.
Top 10 in Several NCAA Categories
Air Force is ranked in the Top 10 in eight categories in the latest NCAA Division I statistics. The Falcons are No. 1 in field-goal percentage, shooting 54.0 percent this season.
Starters Shooting Lights Out
Four of Air Force's five starters are shooting at least 50 percent from the field this season. Forward Dan Nwaelele leads the team at 61.8% (55-89). Tim Anderson is second at 57.1% (36-63), followed by Nick Welch at 55.1% (49-89) and Jacob Burtschi at 54.0% (61-113). Matt McCraw is the only starter below 50 percent, at 41.9% (31-74).
In fact, of the 15 players on the roster that have attempted at least five field-goal attempts this season, only four (including McCraw) are shooting below 50 percent.
Seven Games in 12 Days!!
Air Force started the season playing seven games in 12 days, including four games in five days, culminating with its 83-59 victory over Radford on Nov. 22. Air Force was just one of three Division I teams (Winston-Salem College and Fairfield Univ.) to play seven games before Thanksgiving this season.
