LAS VEGAS • Joe Crispin thinks Air Force can win more than people think.
Air Force was voted last in the 2026-27 Mountain West preseason poll, but the Falcons’ men’s basketball coach is embracing a season where the Falcons have nothing to lose but are still playing to win.
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“We need to believe that we can,” Crispin said at Wednesday’s Mountain West Media Days. “I think there’s the danger that we can put on ourselves to create expectations that we don’t need to have. Our expectations should be very process-oriented, but there should be a belief that we can win. And expect to win. Those two things can go side by side together.”
Air Force is coming off a 3-29 season with a new coaching staff and six freshmen in addition to a roster that lost just two players. The Falcons return five starters, including sophomore guard Kam Sanders, who led the team with 12.5 points and 3.8 assists per game.
Despite past struggles in conference play, the Falcons are confident in their ability to compete in a new-look Mountain West that added UC Davis, UTEP, and Hawaii.
“They’re well coached with clear identities,” Crispin said of the newcomers. “The conference is competitive, has great coaching, and diversity in the way people play. So we’re looking forward to the challenge.”
Another challenge for Air Force is its inability to recruit and utilize the transfer portal. Still, Crispin sees it as an advantage because of the continuity in players and practice time together throughout the year.
Senior Caleb Walker, one of Air Force’s returners, wants to prove the Falcons can compete and leave the program better than he found it. He’s still getting used to Crispin’s run-and-gun basketball but hopes to contribute on the rebounding side after averaging five per game last year.
The team is excited to travel to new places this season and see how it matches up against new opponents. The matchup at Hawaii is circled on Sanders’ and Walker’s calendars, but as Crispin playfully reminded them, it’s not a vacation.
“It’s still definitely a formidable conference,” Sanders said. ”It’s a multi-bid league; that’s been the standard in Mountain West for the past few years. These new teams come in with past good seasons. We aspire to be one of those programs that are respected and very accomplished.”
2026-27 preseason All-Mountain West Men’s Team:
Dylan Darling, Grand Canyon
Efe Demirel, Grand Canyon
Jaden Henley, Grand Canyon
Makaih Williams, Grand Canyon
Elijah Price, Nevada
Vaughn Weems, Nevada
Jake Hall, New Mexico
Uriah Tenette, New Mexico
Tyrin Jones, UNLV
AJ Storr, UNLV
Naz Meyer, Wyoming
Preseason Player of the Year
Jake Hall, So., G, New Mexico
Preseason Newcomer of the Year
Dylan Darling, Sr., G, Grand Canyon
Preseason Freshman of the Year
Jackson Kiss, F, UNLV
Mountain West men’s basketball preseason poll:
As voted by select media
New Mexico (9 ) 179
Grand Canyon (10) 178
Nevada 148
UNLV 125
Wyoming 116
Hawaii 99
San Jose State 63
UC Davis 62
UTEP 52
Air Force 23