During his introductory press conference in March, coach Joe Crispin stated Air Force men\u2019s basketball would play fast, fearless and free.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That philosophy has been put into action in the team\u2019s offseason training as it looks to change the narrative this winter after ending last season with just three wins.\u00a0<\/p>\n
All but one player, Sam Imade, returned from last year\u2019s roster for productive team training in the spring. After the school year ended, players have been training on their own or in small groups, depending on their personal plans.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s got to be one of the most unique things in college basketball to have everyone return,\u201d Crispin said. \u201cI try to make 6-8 weeks more summertimeish. I think it\u2019s healthy from a mental and emotional perspective.\u201d<\/p>\n
One of the team\u2019s returning players is sophomore guard Kam Sanders, who was a major contributor last season and was the second freshman to earn the 2026 Bob Beckel Team MVP award. Sanders is staying at the academy this summer to take classes to take time off the fall semester.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For Sanders, it was never a question of whether he would return, and he is putting in the work to get used to Crispin\u2019s new style. The transition to a new coaching staff was seamless, according to Sanders, and the team has fully embraced its new head coach.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHe wants the best for us, with a super positive mindset,\u201d Sanders said of Crispin. \u201cAs a coach, that\u2019s big. You want to connect with your players on and off the court. He is not only an amazing coach but also a man. The way he talks, he\u2019s able to give us the confidence we need going into the season. He has brought a new light to the team.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sanders\u2019 work ethic and love for the game have caught the attention of Crispin, whose coaching philosophy is centered on having fun and enjoying the process. The head coach is seeing that this summer and wants to see more of that as the team learns to play fast to create more opportunities.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the spring, an introductory thing was making playing fast normal,\u201d Crispin said. \u201cWe are going to play faster, aggressively, take some shots that some people may not think are great, but that we make work. Fast isn\u2019t always about going fast; it\u2019s also about being efficient with the time we have.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we talk about letting players play, we are teaching them how to play the game effectively and efficiently.\u201d<\/p>\n
Part of the team\u2019s offseason work is having them read James Kerr\u2019s \u201cLegacy: What The All Blacks Can Teach Us About The Business of Life.\u201d The book follows the legendary All Blacks of New Zealand rugby club to teach 15 lessons in leadership and business.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the cool things about this group is they want to be part of changing a narrative, and that starts with understanding what that entails,\u201d Crispin said. \u201cIt\u2019s a great opportunity for the staff and players to learn leadership craft.\u201d<\/p>\n
As Crispin has gotten to know the team, he has been impressed by how much it enjoys competing and working together. The \u201cbrotherhood\u201d among the team is strong and the reason players like Sanders decided to stay.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cookouts at Crispin\u2019s house and other team-bonding activities have been a priority this offseason.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to go into every game with confidence in each other and then produce that on the court,\u201d Sanders said. \u201cWe want to build a culture of improvement, never getting too high or too low. As a program, we are a lot more persistent. We are growing as a team.\u201d<\/p>\n
The team will welcome five freshmen, and Crispin says he sees several of them contributing this winter. One of those commits is Caleb Fay, who capped his high school career with back-to-back 4A state championships with Kent Denver.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sanders met the freshmen before they began basic training June 24 and says they have a good outlook on starting their cadet lives. He remembers teammate A.J. Patterson taking him under his wing and wants to do the same for this year\u2019s class.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Under Crispin\u2019s leadership and another year of experience under their belts, there is a lot of excitement among the team. As Crispin has previously said, it\u2019s hard to win in college basketball. Still, the Falcons look forward to the challenge.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe talk about playing with house money and just going for it,\u201d Crispin said. \u201cI think that\u2019s a great place to be, an opportunity to change things and establish a new identity. That\u2019s why I\u2019m here and get excited about. I think we are going to find out a lot about ourselves once we start playing.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
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