Cougars, Falcons to collide tonight

PROVO — Three weeks ago, who would have thought BYU — mired in a three-loss skid and near the bottom of the Mountain West Conference basketball standings — would be riding a five-win streak back into contention?

Then again, three months ago, who would have thought Air Force — yes, those perennial MWC cellar-dweller Falcons — would be perched atop the league standings, several games ahead of the tied-for-second pair of BYU and Utah?

All that makes the championship implications of tonight's 8:30 Marriott Center matchup between BYU (17-7, 7-4 MWC) and Air Force (19-4, 9-1) all the more improbable.

A Cougar win pulls BYU within a couple of games of the front-runners and maintains the smallest flicker of title hopes. An Air Force victory all but clinches the league crown for the Falcons.

"They're obviously the class of the league right now, and they've proven it by winning four (conference games) on the road," said BYU coach Steve Cleveland. "They're doing everything they have to do to be a championship team."

On Jan. 24 in Colorado Springs, the Falcons waxed the Cougars 74-52 in ways they haven't forgotten.

"This team absolutely humiliated us at their place," recalled Cleveland. "And if we allow them to come in here and shoot 60 to 70 percent, they'll beat us by 20 again.

Much has been made of AFA coach Joe Scott's Princeton-style offense, with the deliberate cutting, reversing and passing befuddling the best of foes. Plus, the Falcons have a knack for "hanging around" to claim close contests, such as Saturday's 59-57 triumph at Utah and last week's 51-50 home win against New Mexico.

"I'm more concerned about them defensively than I am offensively," Cleveland said. "They're a tough guard, but what they're not getting any respect for is how well they defend."

The Cougar coach lists physical play, determination and the Falcons' collapsing defense.

"That's where I think they're greatest strength in," he said. "That and the fact they have five guys who all can put the ball on the floor and attack the basket."

Air Force is led by four players — Nick Welch, Tim Keller, A.J. Kuhle and Antoine Hood — averaging in double figures through 10 league games, with Joel Gerlach not far behind.