Yon takes leave of absence from men’s basketball team

Leading scorer Max Yon, who has already missed two games with a deep thigh bruise, will continue to be away from the team for an undetermined amount of time while he deals with a personal situation.

Coach Dave Pilipovich announced Yon’s leave of absence on Monday, stressing that this is not the result of any sort of infraction at the academy or with the team.

“Some things have come up with him,” Pilipovich said.

“We talked yesterday and he’s going to take a leave of absence from the team right now. For how long, it’s going to (be) up to him.

“Other than that he’s in good standing here at the academy academically, military, he’s doing all those good things. It’s just something with him personally, so we’re going to respect that. He’s part of our family and we love Max and hopefully we’ll get him back soon.”

Yon, a senior, is averaging a team-high 15.3 points.

Rare chance for road win for
Air Force women

The Air Force women’s basketball team hasn’t won a conference road game since Jan. 23, 2008, but has a decent shot to end that streak almost seven years later to the day when it visits San Diego State on Wednesday.

The Falcons (1-16, 0-6 Mountain West) fell to San Diego State (5-11, 2-3) 74-65 at Clune Arena on Dec. 31, but Air Force adds junior forward Christina Gamble, back from a concussion, for the rematch.

“It’s going to be competitive,” coach Andrea Williams said.

Even if the Falcons don’t break their streak, Williams is excited to take the team on a tour of a battleship and meet with some upper brass from the Navy.

“And besides that, it’s a good time to be in San Diego,” Williams said.

Kubiak hires Denver offensive coordinator who isn’t Calhoun

If a new five-year deal signed last week didn’t ease concerns that football coach Troy Calhoun might look for a position elsewhere, Monday’s news that new Denver Broncos coach Gary Kubiak hired Rick Dennison to be his offensive coordinator should mute any remaining speculation.

Calhoun served as Kubiak’s offensive coordinator with the Houston Texans and has been very clear over the years about his admiration for Peyton Manning, so it seemed a reuniting of the longtime friends could be in order with the Broncos.

Monday’s news rules out that possibility.

BRENT BRIGGEMAN, THE GAZETTE