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Academy Cadet Has Hoop Dreams

by Tech. Sgt. Steve German

When Cadet 1st Class Matt McCraw was growing up, he had dreams of playing basketball during March Madness as part of an NCAA team.

"Every kid really grows up wanting to play in March Madness and the NCAA tournament and also go on to the NBA," Cadet McCraw said. "But it's definitely a great feeling that we have turned the Air Force into a definite contender, so it definitely feels good."

With roughly 90 days before he graduates, Cadet McCraw will play in the upcoming Mountain West Conference Championship held in Las Vegas this week. But what the senior with a radiant smile didn't know before heading to the Academy is that he'd be playing as part of the Air Force team. He was scouted by several other colleges, but chose to join the Academy for the challenge it provides.

"I definitely wanted to serve my country, get a quality education and meet great people and get to expand my leadership characteristics and capabilities," he said. "So it was a challenge, I was up for the challenge and now I'm a senior, so I'm on the downhill of it now."

And quite a challenge it is to balance the academic and athletic requirements at the Academy.

"There's so much more on their plate," said Jim Bzdelik, head coach of the basketball team. "For example, the average college student athlete can take maybe three classes, maybe four classes depending if they're on the quarter semester system. Here, they double that. They take six or seven ... over 20 semester hours."

When Cadet McCraw graduates later this year, he'll become part of another team, a team of officers at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., responsible for space and missile systems. But, he plans to keep playing basketball for the foreseeable future.

Source: U.S. Air Force