The 2024 Kentucky Wildcats are redefining offensive basketball in Lexington this season, making history as the first team in school history to make 10 or more three-pointers a game. Yet, despite this, head coach Mark Pope is far from content:
“The first thing is, how did we not make 10 threes a game in ‘96? Like, what are we doing, guys?” Pope joked during a recent press conference, referencing Kentucky’s legendary 1996 championship team. But his tone shifted as he outlined his concerns. “We’re gonna have some games where we don’t make 10 threes. I’m worried about the attempts. Right, we gotta keep pushing the attempts.”
I’m not sure what I love more, Pope’s irritation that the 1996 team didn’t make 10+ threes in its first four games or his insistence that this team still needs to shoot more from behind the arc. What fun times.
— Tyler Thompson (@MrsTylerKSR) November 20, 2024
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By the Numbers: Kentucky’s Long-Range Shooting
The Wildcats have opened the season with blistering efficiency from beyond the arc:
- Total 3PT Shots: 46-110 (41.8%)
- Average 3PT Makes per Game: 11.5
- Jaxon Robinson: Leading the team in attempts (22), converting only 7 of them.
- Koby Brea: Kentucky’s hottest shooter, sinking 15 of 19 threes (78.9%) in a scorching four-game stretch to start his Wildcat career.
Robinson’s aggressiveness is a good sign for a team eager to maintain high-volume shooting. However, Pope's focus on creating more opportunities is clear, aiming to prevent shooting lapses as the season progresses into the meat of the schedule, as well as conference play.
Just for fun, if Kentucky maintains its current pace of shooting all year, it will project to make around 360 three-pointers and attempt about 850 three-pointers over a 31-game season. Pope wants Kentucky to look like Grinnell College, who shot 111 threes in one game.
Balancing Efficiency with Volume
While Kentucky’s sharp shooting has electrified the fanbase, Pope’s concern about sustaining success is rooted in strategy. By emphasizing attempts, the Wildcats can weather cold spells and still stretch defenses, a necessity in today’s game. He wants guys to keep shooting, no matter what. If you are willing to shoot a three, the defense has to honor that; it creates so many more driving lines than if you become gun-shy.
Looking Ahead
As the Wildcats prepare for tougher competition in December and beyond, their success from deep will be a deciding factor.
Pope’s demand for more shots reflects a desire to ensure this record-breaking pace isn’t just a flash in the pan. If the Wildcats can maintain their balance of efficiency and volume, their offensive firepower will make them one of the most dangerous teams in the nation.
For Pope and Big Blue Nation, the message is clear: why settle for making history when you can rewrite it entirely?