6-7.

Six and seven.

Six wins, seven losses.

You can spell or type it a thousand different ways, and it would say the same thing: the Bulldogs are not where they'd like to be.

Looking at the numbers, one would assume it's an offensive shooting problem.

41.5 percent shooting.

30.9 percent from the three-point line.

57.7 percent from the free throw line.

At the beginning of the season, Tech's head coach Keith Richard set a goal to average 72 points per game.

Right now, the Bulldogs are averaging 65.1 points per game.

Before conference play, the Bulldogs clawed their way to a 5-4 record, the most notable game being a stunning come-from-behind victory at Memphis on Dec. 20 by a final score of 64-55.

The 'Dawgs scored a whopping 48 second half points, while holding the Tigers to 27.

To end on such a high note only to be brought back down.

The talent is there. The coaching is there.

And the nation's best kept secret is there.

Well, what's going wrong?

While Paul Millsap may be the nation's secret, he's certainly not a secret to the conference. Non-conference teams handle Tech non-chalantly for the most part. Conference teams circle Tech games and put in "Watch out for Millsap."

Richard has identified the problem as "personnel defense."

Conference teams know Millsap. Much to our chagrin, he's not going to sneak up on anyone anymore.

Others teams exploit our weaknesses.

Daevon Haskins is certainly one of the best point guards to come through Tech in a while, but he is currently 25-82 shooting and 2-24 from three-point range. Coaches are literally putting Daevon's man far enough away to dare him to shoot, while close enough to double-team Millsap if needed.

Corey Dean is an explosive dunker with a tear drop shot. However, he's shooting 51-123 from the floor and 8-26 from beyond the arc.

Dean's defender is positioned to prevent him from driving to the basket, forcing him to take lower percentage jump shots.

His man also adds another defender to get in Millsap's way, if necessary, to create a double or even a triple-team.

The fact of the matter remains that more players are going to have to step up to make up for a triple-teamed Millsap.

Richard and everyone else knows that Millsap can't do it by himself.

The team is struggling to find its identity. They haven't found the "center piece for the offense yet," as Richard put it.

And it's going to be harder if more seats aren't filled in the Thomas Assembly Center. The attendance was embarrassing for both the Nevada and Fresno State games.

Oh, by the way. The Nevada game was televised.

When conference time rolls around, teams usually are gelled enough to make a run in the conference regular season race and the conference tournament.

Hopefully the Bulldog's run will begin Thursday at San Jose State.

And when they get back home on Jan. 22 for SMU, let them know they're welcome and that you're behind them.

Kyle Roberts is a senior journalism major from Ruston and serves as associate sports editor for The Tech Talk.