Chronicloid John Bowman left the following comment in Blocky's post.

I’ve been a Card fan for nearly 50 years and I will die one. But the answer to your question this year is “Not Very Good At All.” Why? The simplest of reasons: This team can’t shoot straight. In the end, it doesn’t matter how quick you are, how strong you are, or how high you can jump. If you can’t put the ball in the basket, you’re not a very good basketball player. Hence the name. They don’t call it rebound ball, or jump ball, or quick ball, or tall ball, or pass ball, or defense ball. I keep reading about our “shooting woes” as if we’re in a slump. That implies a temporary phenomenon. But this team is shooting 42.5 percent for the season. Louisville is the 221st best shooting team in the country ON THE SEASON. How good is this team? We’re the 221st best team in the country at accomplishing the main goal of the game. You tell me how good we are.

I did not realize we were ranked 221st in shooting. This is pathetic and it got me to thinking. It seems like year after year the Cards suffer from shooting woes. So I did a little research. First of all, are FG% and tournament success related? Well lets look at where the last few champs ended up ranked in field goal percentage.

2011 - UConn - 186th .433

2010 - Duke - 133rd .442

2009 - UNC - 18th .480

2008 - Kansas - 3rd .505

2007 - Florida - 1st .527

2006 - Florida - 1st .508

2005 - UNC - 8th .496

2004 - UConn - 17th .481

So, clearly you don't HAVE to shoot the lights out to win it all, but it looks like it definitely helps. Now, this is where it gets sad. Lets look at Louisville's FG% over the last decade.

2011 - 89th .452

2010 - 103rd .447

2009 - 97th .451

2008 - 114th .453

2007 - 209th .423

2006 - 251st .421

2005 - 37th .465

2004 - 242 .420

One year in the last decade have we been ranked above 89th in Field Goal percentage. Three years (if you include this one) we are in the 200s. The one year we could shoot...2005...well, that year turned out pretty well.

I for one am tired of watching a team that can't shoot the ball, although I don't know what the solution is, as apparently our players spend hours in the gym working on their shot. I guess CRP is making an effort to improve on this by recruiting guys like Mike "the best shooter he has ever seen" Marra, and Wayne "shoulder injury" Blackshear (I kid with the nicknames, no need to blow a gasket). I have a better appreciation for Pitino's defensive system after reading Remote Cardinal's epic post, but seriously, I just want to see the ball go in the hoop for once.