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Message: [QUOTE="Ricker, post: 3719916, member: 1245"] My own view is that depth at PG is a weakness if either Cole or Gaffney is out due to a turned ankle or covid protocol, because I don't see a 3rd guy ready to run the team and handle backcourt pressure, (although I think Jackson will eventually, and Adams did play there in a couple spots). Most of the things [USER=6696]@husky429[/USER] mentions, I think are concerns to address rather than actual weaknesses another team can exploit. We are unproven in certain ways. For example, its doubtful and unproven that we can put a 90% free throw shooter on the line at the end of games to replace Vital, but that doesn't mean it's a weakness. Moreover, I think we have an important strength. We can play so many ways, Hurley should always be able to create and exploit a mismatch. Even if our 3 point shooting is the same as last year, I think we can come up with more 3 point rebounds to get second chances, and that slightly more second chances will make up for a deficiency in percentage. I also think Jackson will shoot as good from 3 as Bouknight last year, but not in volume. He shot well from 3 every time I saw him or watched a tape. Creighton and Nova shoot 3's to win. Guarding the 3 point line will be a key, so it is very important but I don't think it's a weakness. It's just something we need to do. If a big like Carlton truly can't effectively hedge and recover, I don't see that as a team weakness because there are other ways to play defense. It's a coaching weakness if you're making players do things they can't do well, and you've decided to play that way anyway. Whaley is great at it, and I think Carlton and Sanogo will be serviceable, or its up to Hurley to adjust the scheme when it is a disadvantage. I understand the point about lack of the optimum summer to improve the guys, but in the spirit of the question, it can't be a weakness vs our competitors because we had our guys on campus 6-8 weeks before any other big east team according to Borges interview, and you can see the condition the guys are in. No other Big East team was on campus before mid august. Their development can't be ahead of ours. Not really picking at the points made because they are all things that we have to do, are unproven, etc I just distinguish concerns from actual weaknesses that we have proven we can't do. As an extra plus: I think Jackson will totally disrupt passing lanes and get his hands on everything. [/QUOTE]

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