Air Force basketball success isn't easy/ But ex-Navy assistant says

0 Comments | Gazette, The (Colorado Springs), May 30, 2003 | by MARK FITZHENRY

Doug Wojcik knows about winning men's basketball games at a military school.

OK, so David Robinson was his teammate at Navy. Details, details. Wojcik also served as an assistant at Navy for nine seasons, during which Navy appeared in the NCAA Tournament three times.

So Wojcik, who recruited and worked with post players at Navy, knows it's possible for military academy teams to win at the Division I level, future No. 1 draft pick optional.

That means Air Force can do it too, said Wojcik, who this weekend will serve as a court coach at the men's national team trials at the Olympic Training Center.

But Wojcik said Air Force faces a more difficult challenge than Navy or Army.

The latter two play in the Patriot League, which until recently did not offer scholarships.

As a member of the Mountain West Conference, Air Force coach Joe Scott not only has to recruit despite his academy's tough requirements, but do so in a league that can send three teams to the NCAA Tournament any given year. "His challenge is different than the Naval Academy's challenge - it's the league he's in," Wojcik said. "At the same time, I don't think it's a level playing field for Joe.

"At Navy, you can win the league. I'm not saying you can't at Air Force, but man, how many have they won? "

Since Air Force has been in the Western Athletic Conference and the MWC, a span of 23 seasons, Air Force has never had a .500 league record and never won more than six league games in a season.

Wojcik knows it takes discipline and tough defense to compensate for the fact that Air Force, with its standards and military life, won't get top high school prospects.

He called Air Force's decision to bring Scott aboard in 2001 "a great hire."

He also likened the Princeton offense - a motion, passing-based set that Scott played in and coached at Princeton - to the wishbone offense in football because it relies more on team execution and less on individual effort.

"I think Air Force's thinking when they hired Joe was right on," Wojcik said.

Wojcik is Navy's all-time assists leader with 714, and the Midshipmen went 82-17 in his three seasons as a starter. In 1986, Robinson gave his Colonial Athletic Association player of the year award to Wojcik.

"I was kind of a role guy and he appreciated what I did for him," Wojcik said. "That's the kind of guy he is."

Wojcik, pegged as a "head coach in waiting" by ESPN analyst Jay Bilas this year, has been an assistant since 1990.

After Navy, Wojcik was an assistant at Notre Dame in 1999-2000, then followed coach Matt Doherty to North Carolina for three seasons. When UNC forced Doherty out and replaced him with Roy Williams, the latter brought in his own staff.

"In my opinion it's one of the best basketball jobs in the country," he said of his time at North Carolina. "You hate leaving under the circumstances."

It didn't take long for Wojcik to find another job. On April 22, Tom Izzo hired Wojcik at Michigan State.

Wojcik said he has interviewed for a Division I head job four times; he declined to name the schools. He wants his first job to be "when the right opportunity presents itself."

And when would that be? "Hopefully any day now."

U.S. NATIONAL TEAM TRIALS

WHO: 51 high school and college players

WHEN: Today through Sunday

WHERE: Colorado Springs U.S. Olympic Training Center (closed to public)

WHY: To try to make the U.S. junior world team or the U.S. Pan American Games team. Players older than 19 are eligible only for the Pan Am Games team.