NCAA

[Reality]

If you don't succede at 1st, keep jacking up 3s.  
Until you almost do?

40 of 70 shot attempts by ILL were 3s.  They made 12.  30%  
1st half i think they were 2-20 on treys.

Crazy thing is it almost worked.

[Guest_Randy]

Does anyone think the NCAA is beginning to look more and more like the NBA?  One, no one can make a midrange shot, everyone was jacking up 3's, they allowed May to simply run over players and they allowed Illinois to run moving screens all night.  That game looked a LOT like Golden State playing New Orleans last night.  While it was a good game, I look forward to NCAA for being tough defenses and a more "pure" game -- better passing (and there was some crisp passing) and less contact -- but that's NOT what I saw last night!

[Derek Bodner]

With zone defenses and the 3 pt arc so close, the college game has been moving to a "stand at the line and hoist 3's" for a while now.  It's sad, really.

Zones are supposed to initiate ball movement.  Force you to pass the ball.  Dump the ball into the high post, and the defense can never catch up.  But IMO far too often teams settle for the outside shots that they get.

[westkoast]

Whats even worse than shooting the 3 constantly?  Shooting it from 4 feet behind where you are suppose to.  Ya I understand its closer than the NBA line......but why not step up a foot or two when you are shooting if you still get 3 points?

NCAA is suffering from Michael Jordan syndrome.  Everyone wants to be the single guy who gets it done on that given night.

[jn]

Whoa now!  Yep, jacking the three has gotten out of hand buuutt, keep in mind that the problem seems worse than it is when you watch Illinois.  They've got three excellent long range shooters at guard and couple big men who can shoot it as well so they shoot a ton of them.   Also,  amid all the three's, Ingram was hitting plenty of mid range jumpers, and in the second half Deron Williams used the threat of the three to hit some nice one dribble pullups from midrange.  

I won't argue that too many threes are being shot by people who shouldn't take them, (the University of MN teams of a few years back drove me CRAZY that way) but it's an exaggeration to say that the mid range game is a "lost art" or that NO ONE can shoot them anymore.

P.S. Koast.  You are soooo right on with the comment about talking shot's from 4 feet beyond the arc when they don't have to.