New 3 Point Line to Cause Some Changes in College Hoops
It isn’t like a foot is that big of a difference is it?
Last week I went to the gym and shot a few hundred shots like I usually do a couple times a week. I enjoy it. I’m getting older now and I don’t use my legs as much as I should but I really focus on trying to shoot jump shots and using good form and everything. I analyze each shot way too much and try to make corrections almost in between each attempt. I usually keep track of percentages in sets of 50 shots and i usually do ok with nobody guarding me as anyone should. This certain day last week I was playing on a court that had the old college line on it as well as the NBA line on it. I decided to give it a try for 50 shots. On the college line I made 35 of 50 shots from all over the arc while the pro line I only hit 20 of 50. It was a huge difference for me. I was having a hard time shooting a jump shot from that distance and as a result everything else was off for me. I was compensating to get the ball there and it messed up my balance, rhythm and everything. Not good at all and very humbling.
The college line is only a foot back and will cause a drop in percentages for sure. I think it will cause more of a drop than most people think. When you adjust everything based on a certain distance and now move that back it has to make a difference. I think the big man stepping out and shooting the 3 is out the window. We won’t see as many miracle comebacks this year as in the past because it will be a tougher shot to make. Players that can stretch defenses will really stretch them now and zone defense teams will be a little happier now. Teams like Syracuse get wing defenders that are long and that can get out and defend the 3 pointer. Now it will be tougher for them to get out and defend it but for good reason, the shot will be longer. More teams will fall back on some sort of zone defense because that one foot will make the middle more vulnerable or so it should. I expect that teams will test the line early and let teams try to make the shots. Teams will double team dominate big guys like Hansbrough or Harangody and let the guards try to beat them from the new distance. If not, those guys can expect double teams all season long.
What I’m saying is we won’t know until we tip off in a few months…I know it has only been a couple months since Kansas beat Memphis but do you think Chalmers hits that shot if he’s a foot deeper. I don’t.
