By Bill Koch and Dustin Dow
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Q, from David: Call Bob Huggins out for being an ineffective offensive coach. Sure, he's the man, but no one is above some constructive criticism. The Bearcats haven't been able to run an effective half-court offense since the days of Danny Fortson.

A: Last season, UC went 31-4 and finished third in Conference USA in scoring with 78.2 points a game. UC was also third in field goal percentage (46.7) and fifth in 3-point field goal percentage (36.2). Most of that scoring came out of the half-court offense, and Danny Fortson wasn't on the roster.

Q: Any chance Huggins will move (Taron) Barker to the bench in favor of anyone who can bring the ball up the court and make things happen?

A: The fact you mentioned "anyone" as a replacement for Barker instead of a specific player speaks to the problem. Barker has limitations, the most glaring of which is that he doesn't attack defenses the way Steve Logan, Kenny Satterfield and Nick Van Exel did. As a result, he rarely gets to the free throw line.

On the plus side, Barker takes care of the ball pretty well and plays good defense. Before his atrocious game against Xavier, he had 26 assists and just four turnovers in his previous three games. If UC had an obvious replacement, perhaps Barker would see less playing time, but freshman Chadd Moore isn't ready yet, and Tony Bobbitt is still struggling to find his niche.

Q, from Tim: I can't see why Huggins plays Barker. He's a senior, the team has no center, no experience. It will be tough to win 15-17 games. Next season, with a center and the addition of some top-caliber players, UC will potentially be a top-five contender, but Huggins must develop (Armein) Kirkland and Moore at the point.

A: I don't think you throw in the towel after five games and begin building for next year. You might recall that in 1989, Huggins' first season, he had only eight scholarship players, no center and no true point guard and still won 20 games. You're right, this team is a shell of what last season's team was, but I think you have to give the coaches a chance to work with some of the young players before you consider the season a lost cause.

Q, from Bill in New Jersey: I really loved the way Dave Young played last season. Is he being punished for a slow start this season?

A: It's obvious that with Dedrick Finn in the lineup, Xavier's offense is more complete and executes better than it did when Young played shooting guard and Lionel Chalmers ran the point. Young isn't necessarily being punished, but his role has changed. Musketeers coach Thad Matta has talked about wanting to see Young come off the bench and make hustle plays that help the team.

Q, from Josh in Cleveland: Has Xavier figured out who is going to be the starting center?

A: Judging by the past three games, it looks like Anthony Myles is the starting center. He has played with confidence and is a reliable shooter inside 10 feet. More important, he is able to defend a strong opposing center, which always makes David West's life easier.

Koch covers UC for the Enquirer, Dow covers Xavier. E-mail them at basketball@enquirer.com