It’s the new hot topic in Lexington and across the BBN today and probably will be for the rest of the basketball season.And the question is “What to do about Kentucky’s 3-point shooting?” Yes, the 2-22 3-point shooting in the Tennessee game was beyond ugly … but it was hardly the only villian in the loss.
Try the overall defensive gameplan and the horrible transition defense in the first half. Or the inability to play solid defense for the entire 35 second shot clock.
You get the picture.
For the season, UK is hitting 34.7% of it’s treys. That is just a tad off last years 35.2% and the lowest since 2005-2006’s 34.9%. But it’s not UK has been a historically great three point shooting team. The best season since the 3-point line was introduced was the 1995-1996 National Championship season with 39.7%. The other two Final Four teams were lightly lower at 36.9% and 36.7%. Before the Tennessee game, Kentucky was actually at 36.03% for the season.
And the thing is, Kentucky has been the victim of bad 3-point shooting for quite a while this season. It just gets magnified with the loss. Kentucky’s 3-point shooting has been in a slump for the past seven games, but it has not been as bad as the 12-73 (16.4%) over the last four games. Regardless, Kentucky has won against good teams lately with poor 3-point shooting nights. They went 3-11 in the 21 point win over South Carolina. 3-16 in the win over Vandy. and 4-24 in the Mississippi State game.
Fact is that you can not live or die by the three point shot … but you do need to shoot better than 4-22. Lots of Kentucky’s problems have not been with the shooters, but with the shots they are taking. Earlier in the year, Wall and Bledsoe were masters at driving into the zone and having it collapse on them, and then kicking it out to a wide open shooter who would nail the three. Lately we have seen too many long three point shots early in the shot clock, not even allowing the rebounders to get set up. Or we have seen shooters rush the shot or not even be squared up to the basket to shoot properly. I would say that as many of eight or nine of the 3-pointers against Tennessee should not have been taken at all …. and hopefully this is something that gets adjusted with film sessions this week.
To be honest, this team is a lot more solid than past UK teams that lived and died with the three point shot. I will take our 3-16 shooting nights and a win rather than having to rely on 9-10 3-pointers a night. On the other hand, if we could average just 6-7 three pointers every night, it would open the offense so much. The Georgia game will be interesting to see. After the South Carolina game, we went 21-42 in the next two games from beyond the arc. It’s not a matter that we can’t hit the long shots… everyone has just gone cold at the same time.
As for me, I am not quite in panic mode about the three point drought. Kentucky has enough length and speed and quickness to get plenty of high percentage two pointers and that is that is how they have been winning games. The shots will start to fall. Dodson, Wall, and Bledsoe are too good of shooters to stay ice cold much longer. Plus Cousins is good for at least three to four “plus one” three point plays a game due to just his strength. I think with this Kentucky team, the 3-point shot is more of a luxury rather than a necessity … and that in itself can be more of a luxury come tournament time.
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