AIR FORCE ACADEMY - Air Force coach Jeff Bzdelik might have an instant cure for hangovers and depression. Ask Jacob Burtschi.

"After Wyoming beat us (in the Mountain West Conference tournament last week), when we got back to the hotel, I got them in a room and said, 'We shot ourselves in the foot here and probably we're going to be in the NIT,' " Bzdelik said after practice Tuesday. "Teams like us that suffer a sad ending like we did for the NCAA Tournament are hung over with depression and they wind up getting beat in their first game.

"I wanted to really put and end to that thought, to get them excited about playing (tonight)."

Burtschi, a senior starting forward, was listening.

"A lot of people get stuck because they didn't get picked for the NCAA Tournament," Burtschi said. "We were a little upset for a couple of hours, but by Monday morning, it was all out of our system. We got snubbed, but we did it to ourselves. That's been the key factor; we're not still blaming someone else. So now we're going out there and trying to make a positive out of it."

The Falcons (23-8) host Austin Peay (21-11) at 9 p.m. today. As the No. 1 seed in the NIT's West Region, Air Force could have three home games before the semifinals in New York.

"It's a new adventure," Burtschi said. "I've never been to the NIT before, and the great thing is, we get three (potential games) at home. I've never been to New York, I've never been to Madison Square Garden. Everyone who's been a part of basketball says it's the mecca of basketball. It's the place you want to go to at least once. . . .

"If we handle business here, we have a great opportunity to make that happen."

It begins with Austin Peay of the Ohio Valley Conference. The Governors are coached by Dave Loos, in his 17th season.

Sophomore Drake Reed, a 6-foot-5 forward, is their leading scorer, averaging 16.1 points a game. The Governors are tall and strong on the offensive boards.

"All five guys will have to be working together, talking and making sure that we're all on the same page when it comes to playing against them," senior guard Matt McCraw said.

That, combined with good outside shooting, had been an Air Force trademark through the early season, when the Falcons jumped to a 17-1 record and No. 13 national ranking.

Those qualities were missing through their late-season collapse.

"We're still excited to still be playing in the postseason," McCraw said. "While other teams are scheduling their banquets, we're going to the NIT, so we're pretty excited. It's kind of a new beginning for us. We've never won a postseason game, and this will be a great opportunity to do it before our home fans in Clune Arena."

Austin Peay at Air Force

• What: First round of the National Invitation Tournament.

• When: 9 tonight.

• Where: Clune Arena, Air Force Academy.

• Records: Austin Peay, 21-11; Air Force, 23-8.

• TV/radio: ESPN2; KYOL-AM (1510) in Denver and KVOR-AM (740) in Colorado Springs.

• Leaders: Austin Peay - Drake Reed, 16.1 points; Fernandez Lockett, 7.8 rebounds; Derek Wright, 4.2 assists. Air Force - Dan Nwaelele, 14.3 points; Jacob Burtschi, 5.7 rebounds; Matt McCraw, 3.0 assists.

• Stat that matters: Air Force, 4-25 all time in conference and NCAA tournaments, is making its first appearance in the NIT.

• Etc.: Air Force is 6-7 since it started the season 17-1. . . . The Falcons lost their past four games to drop out of NCAA Tournament consideration. . . . Air Force's 30-game home winning streak ended in the Falcons' most recent game at Clune Arena, a 62-58 loss against Brigham Young on Feb. 27. . . . The Falcons have a 31-game home winning streak in nonconference games. . . . Nwaelele needs six points to move into the top 20 on Air Force's all-time scoring list. . . . Austin Peay won the teams' only meeting, 91-72 on Dec. 29, 1995, in the Toledo MVP Classic.

NCAA Tournament in Denver in 2008

• What: First- and second-round games in the 2008 NCAA men's basketball tournament.

• When: March 2 0/22, 2008.

• Where: Pepsi Center.

• Tickets: On sale Monday.

• Cost: An all-session ticket (six games) is $180.50, which includes service fees.

• How to get them: No later than 10 a.m. Monday, ticket applications will be available at TheMWC.com and CSURams.com. Order forms can be mailed to the Mountain West Conference offic, faxed to 1-719-487-7240 or submitted at the MWC office in Colorado Springs. Pay by cash or check at the conference office to avoid the $5-per-ticket credit-card fee.

• Deadline: May 1. If requests exceed seats, a random selection process will be conducted.

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