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Message: [QUOTE="businesslawyer, post: 3381067, member: 55"] Here's the thing about improving the offense. We know that Vital and Gilbert can make a higher percentage of shots than they have so far because they both had much better shooting numbers last year. Did they get worse at shooting? Probably not. It's more likely (and consistent with what we've seen) that because without J. Adams to carry the load offensively, they have to take more forced, low percentage shots because the offense doesn't have the stud to get their own shot through athletic ability. But that also makes the solution obvious and within reach. If Carlton can give us the offense he has in some big games consistently. If Akok understands his talent and the game better and can give us double digits a game, 2 or 3 times forcing himself on the game instead of letting it come to him. If Bouknight can play like he played in Charleston instead of what has followed. All three of those are achievable. If we can get two of them, that reduces what we need Vital and Gilbert to do and makes them better as well. It might not happen this year. Losing habits are tough to break and the three games we lost were less because the other team was better -- or even played better -- than us and more because we just didn't understand how to, or believe that we could, win a tough game down the stretch. No one -- not even Hurley -- knows if this cast of players will either believe they will win these games or have an offensive stud emerge who carries them to one or two wins and changes the belief for everyone else. And it's also possible that we get no more out of Carlton, Akok and Bouk than we've gotten and that keeps too much pressure on Vital and Gilbert. But it's also possible that it does happen, and that this team makes a run at an AAC title and plays itself into the NCAAs. It's a one game season tomorrow night. A huge amount rests on going to Cincy and -- finally -- winning there. In our first road game of the year. I expect we'll play well defensively. Will we win? Beats the heck out of me. But if I'm looking at one thing it will be whether the offensive contributions of Carlton, Akok and Bouknight start moving forward. [/QUOTE]

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