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“We call it the ‘Mark and Park Show,’” Ernsthausen said with a laugh. “We’re looking to bring that baby out a little this year.”
Coach Scott Nagy certainly wouldn’t mind if they started asserting themselves more with the ball. They each played about 18 minutes per game last season, primarily because of what they could do defensively.
Ernsthausen averaged 5.2 points and Hughes 3.2. And with the Raiders having to replace three starters who averaged a combined 41 points, those two will be needed to provide more scoring punch.
“I definitely don’t want to lose that defensive mindset, but coach Nagy, in practice, is begging me to shoot it sometimes,” Ernsthausen said. “A lot of guys would love that. He has to tone some guys down.
“Changing that whole aspect of my game to think both ends has been different, but it’s been fun.”
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Hughes also has been lectured on picking up the scoring pace.
“When we have meetings, he talks about how me and ‘P’ have to have way bigger roles than last year because they’re counting on us to step up and do what we need to do,” he said.
Hughes was a prolific scorer at Youngstown Ursuline. He averaged 24 points as a senior and dropped 38 in a game against Massillon Perry.
How did he suddenly lose that offensive swagger?
“I don’t know,” he said. “Coming from high school, I really had to score for my team because we weren’t very good. Coming here, we had guys who could score, so I really took a backseat role and didn’t really worry about that stuff.
“My freshman year, playing for (previous coach) Billy Donlon, it was really all about defense, and I didn’t want to mess up.”
He doesn’t intend to pass up open looks this season.
“I didn’t really score last year, but that’s going to change,” Hughes said. “I worked in the summer a lot on shooting, and I’m shooting the ball really well right now. I worked the hardest on that, along with ball-handling, which you always need.”
Senior wing Grant Benzinger is the team’s leading returning scorer at 12.8, while senior point guard Justin Mitchell averaged 11.5.
Based on what he’s seen through the preseason, Nagy believes Hughes and Ernsthausen can be double-figure scorers most nights, too.
“Both of those guys are really good defenders. They’re the kind of guys we want. But offensively, they’re both going to have to carry more of a load this year, and they will. I’m not concerned about that,” Nagy said.
FRIDAY’S GAME
Wayne State (Neb.) at Wright State (exhibition), 7 p.m., 106.5
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