In recent years, the Air Force men’s basketball team used the fastbreak about as much as the academy football team uses the forward pass.

Which is to say, of course, not very often. The Falcons walked the ball up the floor and strived to bleed the majority of the 35-second clock before releasing a shot.

But this season has been different. With more athleticism on the roster, coach Jeff Reynolds has given his team the green light to push the ball up the court and attempt to score in transition.

“That’s something me and coach Reynolds talked about over the summer – trying to catch teams off-guard because they think we’re going to walk it up,” said junior point guard Evan Washington, who leads the team with 26 assists heading into Saturday’s game against Washington State in Spokane. “We have a pretty athletic team this year, so we’re trying to take advantage of it.”

They certainly took advantage of it Tuesday night in a 75-41 victory over Prairie View A&M, scoring 16 fastbreak points. That might not seem like many, and – clearly – nobody will mistake Air Force for the Phoenix Suns. But considering the way Air Force has played in the past, watching the Falcons score three transition buckets in six possessions midway through the second half against the Panthers was a bit jarring – like watching the football team line up with five wide receivers.

“We never really have been a team that ran, so I was kind of curious how it would work out,” senior forward Grant Parker said. “But we kind of did a little bit against Western State (in the opener), and after that I knew we could do it.”

The Falcons’ hallmarks still will be intense defense, a methodical halfcourt offense and 3-point shooting. But being able to run the floor gives them a much-needed dimension – last season when Air Force struggled with its outside shooting, it struggled to score.

The decision to run more often has much to do with Washington, a standout rebounder who can grab misses and then streak up the floor.

“And he’s very good at distributing it when we’re in transition,” Reynolds said.

Senior Avery Merriex, sophomore Shawn Hempsey and freshman Todd Fletcher are guards who also distribute the ball well, and freshman Michael Lyons, a long and smooth 6-foot-6 guard, and 6-5 guard/forward Taylor Stewart, give Air Force capable finishers. In addition, the big men, particularly Mike McLain and Parker, can run the floor.

“I think we’re a little bit more talented than we’ve been,” Reynolds said. “And we’re trying to see if we can’t steal an easy basket or two.”

Evan Washington and the Falcons are looking for fastbreak opportunities this season. Photo by KEVIN KRECK