209: Area code for dialing long distance
Coach says extended 3-point line won't impact BU; others see the new distance effecting game
The past two seasons, Bradley has established itself as the Missouri Valley Conference's greatest 3-point shooting program in the 22 years the rule has been in effect.
BU fired up 1,756 treys, sinking 695 for an outstanding percentage of .396. That's 9.5 made 3s per game in an average of 24 long-range attempts per outing over 73 games.
The totals of made and attempted 3s are far and away the most by any MVC team in any two-year period of the 19-foot, 9-inch jumper. Nationally, only two teams ? Virginia Military Institute and Houston ? have connected for more 3-pointers.
The shot, a big part of Jim Les' revamped offensive system once 7-foot center Patrick O'Bryant bolted to the NBA after his sophomore season, has helped catapult the Braves to postseason tournament berths in the NIT and CBI during these two years.
'We had to change how we played out of necessity,' Les said. 'We liked the system so much, we started recruiting to it.'
The result this season is a Bradley roster filled with superb athletes, all of whom are capable of running the court and many of whom can shoot the 3.
Long ball gets longer
But alas ? after years of study during experimentation in exempt tournaments ? this is the season the new NCAA 3-point rule goes into effect, adjusting the arc one foot deeper to 20 feet, 9 inches.
Makes and attempts of the shot had essentially doubled (from 3.5 and 9.2 in 1987 to 6.7 and 19.1 last season). That trend was too great in the eyes of the rules committee.
'Moving the arc back will allow for better spacing and hopefully a more free-flowing game,' said John Adams, the NCAA coordinator of basketball officiating. 'It fits nicely with an officiating focus point for this year ? freedom of movement. Officials must allow players to move freely, if moving legally, anywhere on the court.
'Since the 3-point shot is such a big part of our game, moving the arc back will space out players and defenders further away from the basket. Hopefully one result will be to allow cutters more room to run.'
Another goal is to resurrect the mid-range jump shot ? from 14-19 feet ? long on the game's endangered list since highlight reels have usually focused on the sexier 3-pointers and dunks.
'I think that shot might come back with the longer distance (on 3-point shots),' said C.M.
Newton, a long-time coach and now chairman of the NIT Selection Committee.
Others, like Florida coach Billy Donovan, have criticized the rule as being too favorable for post players because the width of the lane has remained unchanged.
'Big guys will have more space now,' said Southern Illinois coach Chris Lowery. 'That's where we've struggled as USA Basketball because our big guys aren't as skilled as the foreign big guys.'
Les has had little to say this fall about the rule change and its effect on his team.
'To me, it's not a story,' he said. 'Moving the line back doesn't change anything (for Bradley). If you look at tapes of our guys shooting 3s, very rarely were they standing right on the line. Our statistics in practice don't show much difference in terms of percentage. I'm not making a big deal out of it nor are they. You guys (media) are making a bigger deal out of it than I am.'
Numbers suggest otherwise
The exhibition games paint a much different story, though, when compared with last year's preseason contests.
Against St. Ambrose and Quincy last fall, Bradley launched 61 treys, sinking 28. Threes accounted for 39 percent of the Braves' total points and 44 percent of their total field-goal attempts.
This season vs. Lewis and Wisconsin-Platteville, the numbers were starkly lower. BU was just 10-for-33 in those games. The correlating numbers are just 17 percent of the Braves' points and 26 percent of their total shots.
There are many possible reasons for the big dropoff. Veteran marksmen Jeremy Crouch and Daniel Ruffin are gone and top returning 3-point shooter Andrew Warren has launched just one as he recovers from foot surgery. The perimeter newcomers, as they vie for playing time, might be less inclined to let it fly from deep as they adjust to a new team.
Also, David Collins, with 31 points in the two contests, has provided much more of an offensive post presence, which certainly has led to the long-shot decrease in a positive way.
But others don't believe the Bradley system will be all that different in the long run.
'Coach recruits players that will have success in that style of play,' said Crouch, now playing professionally in Germany. 'I don't think this will change how BU plays or the system's effectiveness.
'There really wasn't that much of an adjustment for me (the international distance is 20-6). After a couple of workouts, it got easier and now it feels natural.'
Lowery pointed to the long 3s the Braves generally take.
'The line was never an issue for Bradley so I don't see it affecting them one bit,' he said. 'It may affect some guys, but guys like Sammy (Maniscalco) and (Andrew) Warren will let it fly. They have no conscience and won't worry about where their feet are.'
Warren agreed. 'I don't have a problem with it,' he said. 'I was shooting well behind it last year. The way we play, it really won't affect too many people. It may affect guys who don't shoot it as much.'
For the Braves, that means Will Egolf, who was 0-for-14 behind the line last year, and Theron Wilson, who was 28-for-68 on 3s a year ago. Neither shot one in the exhibitions. The extra foot seems to take them out of their range.
A different game to Dana
Creighton coach Dana Altman, whose teams have always greatly used the 3-pointer as an effective weapon, believed the new rule will make college basketball different.
'I may be in the minority, but I think it'll change the game quite a bit,' Altman said. 'People will still fire 'em up there. But a lot more people will be going penetration-kick to shoot the 3s. The pull-up (3-pointer) off the dribble will be more difficult because of the extra distance.
'I don't think (the new rule) will open the floor. When you take away a person or two who shoot it, the defense has another person to help (on the post). More people will play zone and defenses will sag more. If they really call rough post play and illegal picks, that'll open up the post a lot more than the 3-point line will.'
Veteran college referee Rick Hartzell pointed to a couple of other issues that could result from the extra 12 inches on the perimeter.
'There are going to be two, three or four lines out there on the courts now so you can be certain there will be a controversy with all those lines,' he said. 'The other thing is you're going to have more missed shots, more rebounds and more mayhem. More mayhem means more decisions for the officials. That's what we're talking about among ourselves.'
Adjustment is key
Coaches and players who adapt quickly to the new rule may be the best off, said Illinois State coach Tim Jankovich.
'I've probably driven a lot of (other coaches) crazy because they don't seem to be thinking about (the new rule) as much as I do,' he said. 'They seem to be ignoring it. But I think the people and programs on the front edge of figuring it out will have an advantage this year.
'Do you act like it's the exact same shot and the game didn't change? For me, I'm going to start out the year assuming it's the same game we're playing. My guess is, when it's all said and done, the national average will be down almost two percent. I may be totally wrong. But to start out the year, we'll act like the line hasn't changed.'
So far, that doesn't seem to be Bradley's approach.
And it's not necessarily a bad thing. Fewer 3s can mean a more varied offense with the inside guys more involved.
That can lead to more consistency and less predictability. And maybe a return invitation to an even more prestigious postseason event.
