AFA (6-2) vs uwm (6-4) 6:30pac
Colorado Springs will be the setting when two of the finer coached teams in America take to the court Thursday night. Princeton-schooled Joe Scott's Falcons are fresh off a tournament championship and upset victory over Pac-10 Cal. Bruce Pearl's Panthers continue their trek home from the left coast with a stopover at the Academy after losing in the finals of a tourney at Santa Clara.
AFA has compiled a 6-2 record with their only notable win over Cal. Their two losses were on the road to possible tourney teams Auburn and Belmont. Scott's charges play the Princeton mulitple-cutting, clock-killing offense and tough defense that has been at the tops in nation in recent years. Air Force is lead by senior co-captains Joel Gerlach and A.J. Kuhle, but is very much a balanced team. The Falcons will rely on an overplaying defense to provide them with open 3-pointers and backdoor layups.
Bruce Pearl has been on the cusp of the NCAAs the past few years and lost a heartbreaker in the Horizon tournament last year to deny him his chance. Big gunner Clay Tucker is gone, but Dylan Page has stepped up to replace his scoring and provides a presence in the paint Air Force can't match. The Panthers have struggled at times early, but an impressive conference opener, 88-71, over UIC shows their potential. How they take to the Air Force sets will be a key.
Colorado Springs is never an easy place to play and with the Falcons experiencing early success, optimism should be abundant. UWM needs to exploit their inside advantage and up the pace, while not being impatient. AFA hopes to gain an early lead and play downhill, forcing the Panthers to rush their shots.
Scott and Pearl are two of the finest up-and-coming coaches in the land in my opinion and this game will be a chess match no doubt. If UWM dominates the glass, they win. If AFA can control the pace and not allow too many second chance opportunities they get the nod.
Here's saying the home-court advantage, winning momentum, and frustrating style translate into a victory for the homestanding Falcons.
Green speaks: AFA -1 uwm
Colorado Springs will be the setting when two of the finer coached teams in America take to the court Thursday night. Princeton-schooled Joe Scott's Falcons are fresh off a tournament championship and upset victory over Pac-10 Cal. Bruce Pearl's Panthers continue their trek home from the left coast with a stopover at the Academy after losing in the finals of a tourney at Santa Clara.
AFA has compiled a 6-2 record with their only notable win over Cal. Their two losses were on the road to possible tourney teams Auburn and Belmont. Scott's charges play the Princeton mulitple-cutting, clock-killing offense and tough defense that has been at the tops in nation in recent years. Air Force is lead by senior co-captains Joel Gerlach and A.J. Kuhle, but is very much a balanced team. The Falcons will rely on an overplaying defense to provide them with open 3-pointers and backdoor layups.
Bruce Pearl has been on the cusp of the NCAAs the past few years and lost a heartbreaker in the Horizon tournament last year to deny him his chance. Big gunner Clay Tucker is gone, but Dylan Page has stepped up to replace his scoring and provides a presence in the paint Air Force can't match. The Panthers have struggled at times early, but an impressive conference opener, 88-71, over UIC shows their potential. How they take to the Air Force sets will be a key.
Colorado Springs is never an easy place to play and with the Falcons experiencing early success, optimism should be abundant. UWM needs to exploit their inside advantage and up the pace, while not being impatient. AFA hopes to gain an early lead and play downhill, forcing the Panthers to rush their shots.
Scott and Pearl are two of the finest up-and-coming coaches in the land in my opinion and this game will be a chess match no doubt. If UWM dominates the glass, they win. If AFA can control the pace and not allow too many second chance opportunities they get the nod.
Here's saying the home-court advantage, winning momentum, and frustrating style translate into a victory for the homestanding Falcons.
Green speaks: AFA -1 uwm
