I would love to hear more about your idea of the in the dark scene by the way
Okay... Basically, after I watched your film, all I could think of was the old visualization experiment the Australian psychologist performed with students practicing free throws. What IF we see your character trying and trying to make a shot but just can't. He's good at dribbling. He's good at everything but actually making a basket.
At some point... He's introduced to the visualization experiment I linked to above... I'm sure you can find even MORE information about this. It's WORLD FAMOUS.
After reading about it? He decides to VISUALIZE along with regular practice. Maybe he even says, "SWISH" every time he makes a visualization basket.
We would of course, have to see him perform ENOUGH visualization practice/techniques to really get the idea that he's using visualization as much as he's actually practicing. Visualization also DEVELOPS CONFIDENCE so at one point while he's performing visualization in his bedroom, he decides to go outside and try a shot in the dark. All we hear is the SWISH.
When he finally decides to try the same shot during the day? We don't even need to see him make the shot... All we need to do is HEAR the SWISH.
In other words? By now? He KNOWS he's going to make the shot because of all the practice both physical and visualized.
I still don't want to get too detailed... This is YOUR film. These are just some random thoughts.