COLUMN: SEMO needs Larson's sharpshooting to improve by OVC slate

One of the chief reasons behind the early optimism going into the new Southeast Missouri State men's basketball season was among the returnees and incoming transfers was a 6-9 sophomore forward who can shoot three-pointers and provide the occasional energy-infusing dunk.

Nine games into the season, Larson is leading the Redhawks in scoring as the only one averaging 10 points or more per game (11.3 PPG) and is shooting 42.8 percent from beyond the arch.

The problem is his shooting within the walls of the Show Me Center. Granted it's only been three games prior to the Redhawks' 95-45 win over Harris-Stowe on Wednesday, but Larson has shot 15.4 percent from the three-point line (2-of-13) at home. He was slightly better during that game, shooting 3-of-10 to bring his home three-point shooting percentage to .217, as well as scoring 19 points to tie with Rob Martin for the game high.

However, his outside shooting remains a cause for concern.

"It's normally the other way around," SEMO head coach Brad Korn said. "Adam is a gamer. It doesn't surprise me that when the crowd is loud, he knows who he is and he can get out there and perform at that level."

Southeast Missouri State�s Adam Larson scored 19 points against Harris-Stowe on Wednesday, Dec. 6, at the Show Me Center. Jacob Blassingame ~ Special to the Southeast Missourian

Sunday against Missouri Baptist was his worst shooting game, as he went 1-of-8 from beyond the arch. He got to the free-throw line for a career-high 12 shots, where he made 10 to get to 15 points.

"It might just be early in the season, a couple of home games so hopefully the law of averages will even it as the season goes on," Larson said on Sunday. "It was just one of those nights, but that's alright. We won and I did something different for once. I got to the line and tried to do some other stuff instead of just shooting the ball."

Even in futile efforts, Larson has been as advertised on the road. He shot 3-of-5 from three during the first two games of the season and a combined 10-of-14 from the two games at Chattanooga, Tenn.

"It doesn't matter where Adam is," Korn said. "Put him on a farm, you can put him in a sold-out arena, that's what he does."

That needs to be true about Larson's shooting at home. The Redhawks will have one more home game before the Ohio Valley Conference slate, starting with Southern Indiana on Dec. 29.

Those are the games that matter the most. The non-conference slate is nothing more than a two-month glorified preseason. Half of the 18 OVC games are played at home, and if Larson's home shooting woes persist, then the Redhawks don't have the homecourt advantage that they absolutely need to return to the conference tournament.

At the same time, the one way for Larson's "law of averages" theory to come to fruition is for him to continue taking shots. And Korn knows it.

"As long as you're taking the right shots and approaching it the right way," Korn said, "he can never have a game where he's bashful or gun-shy."

He's certainly putting an effort into fixing his shot. After the game against Missouri Baptist, Larson remained on the court shooting around the arch.

"I feel like he's a diligent worker," SEMO guard Aquan Smart said of Larson. "He works very hard. He's been hitting a lot of shots for us this year and I feel like his confidence was through the roof this year. He knows he has to be a great shooter and a great scorer for us to have a chance."