Highlights of Air Force’s win against No. 13 San Diego State
February 19th, 2012 | Air Force Basketball | Posted by Phil Creed
Air Force’s Michael Lyons is averaging 25 points per game in the Falcons’ last three games, and he accounted for 27 of Air Force’s 58 points in their shocking upset of San Diego State on Saturday. The fadeaway baseline jumper at the :47 mark is worth the price of admission (which is sitting through the 30-second ad that precedes these fine highlights).
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In which we find a reason to blog about Jeremy Lin
February 16th, 2012 | Army Basketball | Posted by Phil Creed
New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin drives on Utah's Devin Harris during a game last week. (AP Photo/Kathy Kmonicek)
A Jeremy Lin connection to the military? Of course we found one.
Lin played Army twice during his Harvard career. As a junior his Crimson team beat the Cadets. But during Lin’s senior season in 2009, Harvard was upset by a West Point team that finished last in the Patriot League.
And man did Lin ever stink it up that night. He may be hitting awesome game-winning threes and outscoring Kobe these days, but in one inconsequential nonconference game in November 2009, Lin was just awful. The point guard had more turnovers (8) than points (6). He finished 0-for-6 from the floor, with all his points coming on foul shots. Army held Harvard to 53 points, the Crimson’s second-lowest total of the season. It was Harvard’s only loss to a team with a losing record all year.
The hero that night was current Army senior Julian Simmons. The then-sophomore scored 16 points and hit three free throws in the final minute to seal Army’s win.
And there you have it. At least I didn’t use any terrible wordplay on Lin’s name.
Army beats Navy, sweeps series for first time since 1992
February 12th, 2012 | Army Basketball Navy | Posted by Phil Creed
It took double overtime, but Army completed its first season sweep of Navy since 1992 yesterday at Christl Arena in West Point. The Black Knights beat Navy 69-63 in the annual “Star” game, ending Army’s three-game losing streak.
The Cadets were led by sophomore guard Josh Herbeck, who scored a game-high 19 points. But freshman guard Maxwell Lenox made the play of the game for Army, driving the length of the court for a layup at the end of the first overtime to tie the game and force the second extra session.
Army beat Navy 75-62 on January 14 in the teams’ first meeting this season.
For Navy, the loss continued the misery of the 2011-2012 season. The Mids managed to outrebounded Army 47-31, but they also had 26 turnovers and could not capitalize on a poor shooting performance from Army.
The loss is Navy’s 17th straight, a record for the program. The Mids were again playing without forward J.J. Avila, who had been leading the team in points and rebounds. Avila was suspended from the team Feb. 3, and now it appears that he’s leaving Annapolis. Navy head coach Ed DeChellis confirmed to The (Annapolis) Capitol on Thursday that Avila submitted paperwork to resign from the academy and has left the school.
More bad news for Navy hoops: Leading scorer suspended
February 3rd, 2012 | Basketball Navy | Posted by Phil Creed
Navy’s basketball team is mired in 14-game losing streak, and it looks like things just got worse.
The (Annapolis) Capital is reporting today that J.J. Avila, the Mids’ leading scorer and rebounder, has been suspended from the team indefinitely.
Navy coach Ed DeChellis is not optimistic that Avila will return this season, according to The Capital:
“Pressed on when he thought Avila might be able to rejoin the team, DeChellis stated flatly, ‘I don’t anticipate him coming back this season.’ DeChellis was hopeful that Avila would be allowed to remain at the Naval Academy and could continue his career next season.”
Avila had been averaging 15.9 points and 7.2 assists for the Mids (3-18, 0-7). Navy travels to Lafayette on Saturday, where they hope to avoid tying the school record for consecutive losses.
Navy hoops losing streak: By the numbers
February 1st, 2012 | Basketball Navy | Posted by Kevin Lilley
Junior Navy guard Jordan Brickman dribbles during the Mids' season-opening win over Penn State-Altoona on Nov. 13 in Annapolis -- one of Navy's three wins on the season. (MC1 Chad Runge / Navy)
This is not the kind of record athletes want to be chasing.
A loss at Patriot League rival Lafayette on Saturday would be the 15th straight for the Navy Midshipmen — good enough, so to speak, to tie a team record for futility set during the 1988-89 season. A loss at home to Holy Cross on Feb. 8 would break the record, just in time to prepare for a Feb. 11 showdown at Army, which will air nationally on the CBS Sports Network.
The streak and the season so far, by the numbers, after the jump:
ESPN segment profiles former airman leading Florida State’s frontcourt
January 18th, 2012 | Air Force Basketball | Posted by Phil Creed
Earlier this week ESPN profiled Florida State forward Bernard James, a former airman who is the anchor of the Seminoles’ frontcourt. James served in the Air Force from 2002-2008, where he deployed overseas twice. While in the service he kept growing and became — despite very little previous playing experience — a star for Air Force’s basketball team.
Now a senior at FSU, James is averaging 10.4 points and a team-high 8.9 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game. Last Saturday he helped the Seminoles shock the college hoops world by destroying No. 3-ranked North Carolina 90-57.
Hoops rivalry doubleheader this Saturday
January 12th, 2012 | After Action Army Basketball Navy | Posted by Andy Charest
What: Army vs. Navy men’s and women’s basketball
When: Sat., Jan. 14; women’s game at noon; men’s game at 2:30
Where: Alumni Hall, Annapolis, Md.
TV: CBS Sports Network
The storied Army vs. Navy rivalry hits the hardwood Saturday in two nationally televised games at the Naval Academy’s Alumni Hall.
While the basketball incarnation may lack the luster of the gridiron version, both the men’s and women’s teams are just a couple games into the meat of their Patriot League schedule, and the rivalry should prove a springboard for the rest of the season.
The schools’ women’s teams will play at noon, followed by the men’s teams at 2:30.
Forward Ella Ellis grabs a rebound in a game earlier this season against The Citadel. Ellis, a junior, is Army's top scorer. (Associated Press photo)
Men’s matchup
Last meeting: Navy 75, Army 58
Army: Junior forward Ella Ellis leads the Black Knights with close to 18 points and 5 rebounds a game. The team is banking on success from beyond the arc to stay competitive; roughly a third of Army’s scoring comes from 3-point range. Army has been averaging 14 assists a game, No. 1 in the Patriot League. The Black Knights are 0-2 in the Patriot League, losing to Bucknell and Lafayette.
Navy: The Mids’ disappointing 3-13 start has coincided with a scoring dropoff from senior guard Jordan Sugars. Sugars is averaging 11 points a game, five less than his average in 2010-11. But the Mids’ real Achilles’ heel is their inability to finish games strong: the team is 2-9 in games decided by single digits, and 0-4 in games decided by four points or less. Navy is 0-2 in the Patriot League, losing to Lafayette and Holy Cross.
Sophomore forward Jade Geif helps lead a Navy women's squad that won the Patriot League championship last year. (Patriot League photo)
Women’s matchup
Last meeting: Army 57, Navy 46
Army: Sophomore guard/forward Jen Hazlett and junior guard Anna Simmers, Army’s two leading scorers, scored 19 and 27 respectively during Army’s win over Bucknell in its Patriot League opener. Army also won its next game, beating Lafayette 44-43 on a layup by senior Meagan Doucette with six seconds left. The two wins kept Army atop the league standings, and Simmers was named the Patriot League player of the week.
Navy: The Mids have opened their Patriot League schedule 1-1, edging Lafayette 60-55, then losing to Holy Cross, 55-38. The team has a young nucleus led by sophomore forwards Audrey Bauer (11.3 ppg, 4.9 rpg) and Jade Geif (10.4 ppg, 8 rpg), and is tops in the Patriot League in rebounding, 3-point percentage and scoring defense.
Mark your calendars: Military sports 2012
January 5th, 2012 | Air Force Army Army-Navy game Basketball Football Hockey Navy | Posted by Kevin Lilley
From hoops to Olympics to football, the new year means a new sports calendar. (AP photo by Bebeto Matthews)
Not the hardest of hardcore sports fans? Saw the Orange Bowl score cross the bottom of the screen this morning and wondered out loud, “Say, Clemson’s 3-point shooters must be terrible”? Don’t want to be caught off-guard in the new year? Here are five important military sports dates to circle on your brand-new desk calendar.
1. Jan. 14, rivalry renewal: The first Army-Navy game of the new year takes place on the hardwood, with the women’s hoops teams squaring off at noon in Annapolis, followed by the men’s teams at 2:30 p.m. (both games on CBS Sports Network). Patriot League play for all four teams begins Saturday, when Army visits Bucknell and Navy travels to Lehigh. There have been few bright spots on the court for either school this year — of the four hoops teams, the Navy women hold the best record at 7-7. Bonus rivalry game: The Army ice hockey team hosts Air Force on Jan. 20 and 21, with the first game airing on CBS Sports Network at 7:30 p.m. Army is 2-9-6 entering Friday’s game against Canisius, while Air Force (10-5-2) is coming off its fourth Atlantic Hockey Association championship in five years.
2. July 27, the world is watching: Military athletes will abound at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. The Defense Department tracked 15 athletes with military affiliations in Beijing in 2008, including Army gold medalists Sgts. Walton “Glenn” Eller III (double trap) and Vincent Hancock (skeet). Shooters will get the first crack at the medal stand in London; the air rifle and air pistol finals take place the day after the opening ceremony.
3. Sept. 1, Irish eyes: From London to Dublin, as the Navy Midshipmen open the 2012 football season with the road game to end all road games — a 3,300-plus-mile trek to take on Notre Dame. A few more details are here.
4. Nov. 9, back to the (steel) beach: Nothing official from the folks at Quicken Loans, but the second edition of the Carrier Classic will be played on this date and will include the Connecticut Huskies — according to UConn, at least. Arizona is the likely opponent. Last November, North Carolina downed Michigan State 67-55 in the first-ever classic.
5. Dec. 8, brotherly love: Army-Navy football returns to Philadelphia, with the Black Knights attempting to end Navy’s 10-game win streak. The Mids are a perfect 7-0 against Army at Lincoln Financial Field, but the Black Knights’ last win did come in Philly — a 26-17, on Dec. 1, 2011, at the since-demolished Veterans Stadium. It will be the 83rd Army-Navy football game in Philadelphia, which will also host the 2013, 2015 and 2017 games; M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore is scheduled to host in 2014 and 2016. Mark your calendars accordingly.
Carrier Classic, continued
November 15th, 2011 | Basketball | Posted by Kevin Lilley
The 2011 Quicken Loans Carrier Classic tips off aboard the carrier Carl Vinson last Friday. Is it too early to talk 2012? (Navy photo by MC2 James R. Evans)
It’s been a few days since any NCAA teams played basketball on an aircraft carrier. Never too early to think about the next time, right?
The inaugural Quicken Loans Carrier Classic appears to have gone off without a hitch, as an outdoor hoops arena went up from scratch, a president made a cross-country visit … and somewhere along the way, the top-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels managed a 67-55 win over Michigan State.
So, what about 2012? This USA Today report outlines some of the details, including the proposed date (Nov. 9, apparently ending the play-on-Veterans Day streak at one), the potential matchup (Connecticut’s in, Arizona could commit next), and a possible doubleheader in 2013 that would feature men’s and women’s games.
One likely fix for next time: According to the USA Today report, contingency plans to play the game on the hangar deck in the event of harsh weather never fully materialized. Had there been rain, the game could’ve been called off. This ESPN blog post chronicles the problems with the covered arena.
Well, there’s a few hundred days left to work things out.
West Point legacy ties top two basketball coaches
November 15th, 2011 | Basketball | Posted by Andy Charest
Mike Krzyzewski played at Army under Bob Knight for four years during the 1960s. (USMA Sports Information photo)
If Mike Krzyzewski’s Duke Blue Devils beat Michigan State tonight (ESPN, 7 p.m. EST), he’ll get his 903rd win and become college basketball’s all-time winningest coach.
In doing that, he’ll pass his mentor — and his former Army head coach — Bob Knight.
Krzyzewski was coached by Knight for all of his four seasons at West Point. Knight forced him to change his playing style, and Krzyzewski went from being a top scorer in high school to primarily a staunch defender and ball-handler for the Army team.
He struggled to find his place — even getting booted off the team by Knight for two days — but ended up thriving, and became the team’s captain in his senior year.
In his book “Leading With the Heart,” Krzyzewski documents the profound personal and professional influence Knight had on his life, especially during his Army playing days.
“Coach K” went on to follow in Knight’s coaching footsteps — as Army’s head coach from 1975 to 1980, he amassed a 73-59 record. In 1980, Krzyzewski landed the top job at Duke, and the rest is history.
Krzyzewski’s career has been a source of pride for West Point sports, and he was inducted into the Army Sports Hall of Fame in 2009. Knight, himself inducted into the hall in 2008, introduced Krzyzewski.
In keeping with the Army love, Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno posted congratulations and encouragement for his fellow West Point grad.