When Seth Davis joked that Kentucky would be better if the three-point line didn’t exist, it sounded like a punchline. Then you look at the numbers and realize it’s basically a scouting report.
Kentucky would be so much better if there were no three-point line.
— Seth Davis (@SethDavisHoops) December 6, 2025
Kentucky basketball three point shooting has collapsed under new identity
Through nine games, Kentucky is 79-for-248 from three. That’s just over 31%, and the eye test somehow makes it feel worse. Remove Collin Chandler’s 22-for-50 from deep and the rest of the roster is shooting an ugly, confidence-draining percentage.
Look at these numbers:
- Denzel Aberdeen 13-38
- Kam Williams 6-38
- Trent Noah 9-20
This is not how this team was supposed to look a combined 28-96 (29%). These are your 3 best shooters coming into the season, only Noah is hitting effectively, and his opportunities are rare.
Last year’s Kentucky squad made more three-pointers than any team in school history. They had built-in spurtability, they were never truly out of a game because a hot stretch from deep could erase a deficit in two minutes. Defenses had to respect the arc, which opened up driving lanes and rim pressure. That is why Oweh looked so dangerous at times last year.
This year’s group is the inverse. They don’t scare anyone from three. They don’t punish overhelping. Opponents can sit in the gaps, clog the paint, and dare the wrong players to shoot, and they do.
The Gonzaga game was the latest example. Kentucky went 7-for-34 from deep (21%), missing wide open looks, forcing bad ones, and never threatening to get hot. Gonzaga calmly posted 9-of-18 (50%) from long range and broke the game open without breaking a sweat. This was after going 1-of-13 against North Carolina.
It’s not just shooting mechanics though. It’s shot selection, timing, and confidence.
They don’t take smart shots. Too many threes come early in the clock, off the dribble, or with no paint touch. There is no ball reversal, and a lot of times it is one pass a possession. They don’t pressure on defense to create transition threes or rhythm looks. They don’t play for each other, so kick-out opportunities are often ignored for forced drives. And right now, they lack the desire to get better in the details that turn good shooting nights into a real identity.
Otega Oweh talked before the regular season about giving 100 percent and the team being “locked in” once games started. Instead, they’ve looked hesitant and disjointed.
Part of the issue traces back to Mark Pope’s mid-season identity shift. He arrived selling pace and space, an offensive system that thrived on shooting and ball movement. But after defensive struggles, he tried to pivot to a more physical, defense-first style.
Right now, Kentucky has the worst of both worlds. They’re not physical enough, the defense is still bad, and now they don’t have shooters either.
Seth Davis might have meant it as a jab, but he’s not wrong. Until this team either recommits to Pope’s original vision or builds a uniquely tough, interior-focused identity, the three-point line is going to feel less like a weapon and more like a spotlight on everything that’s gone wrong.