Auburn basketball coach Bruce Pearl has never been shy about expressing his love for the 3-pointer in college basketball.
Many of Pearl's teams have excelled at making lots of shots on the perimeter, and the Tigers continued that trend last season in making a school-record 454 3-pointers while marching to the program's first-ever Final Four.
And while Auburn's style of play may look a little different this season without Jared Harper and Bryce Brown leading the way, Pearl is still adamant about why the 3-point shot is so important.
“An open 3-point shot is the best shot in basketball,” Pearl said at SEC Media Day on Wednesday. “It’s worth more than any other shot, and it's worth more than a free throw. And there’s no contact. So we wanna hunt for those kinds of shots.
“Inside shots, you're gonna turn the ball over some. You're gonna get it in there and score about 50 percent of the time, and 50 percent of the time they're gonna foul you and it's not gonna get called. It’s not the highest percentage play on the floor. That’s why I’ve always believed in the three.”
Auburn must replace its top three 3-point shooters this season in Harper, Brown, and first-round draft pick Chuma Okeke, but Samir Doughty, Anfernee McLemore, and Danjel Purifoy should be among the reliable shooters that Pearl can turn to.
However, the extended 3-point line in college basketball could determine which players take the most shots. The line will move back to the international distance this season, and Pearl does expect there to be an adjustment phase.
“It’ll be impactful,” he said. “Kids will probably be stepping out of bounds because it’s tight in the corners. Your good shooters won’t be affected by it, but just OK shooters will be affected. Percentages will probably go down one to one-and-a-half points from last year. And there could be fewer attempts.”
Even with the transition period for players, Pearl isn't too upset about the change.
“I’m fine with them moving it back,” he said. “It'll spread the floor and maybe open up the court a little bit. As every year goes by, it'll have less effect. In two years, you won't even notice the difference.”
So, even with players like Austin Wiley and Anfernee McLemore getting more touches in the paint this season, the Tigers will still shoot the three. It may not be at the rate that they have in previous seasons, but it'll be a key part of the offense as it always has been.
Of course, in true Pearl fashion, he also an entertaining response regarding how some view the 3-pointer's importance in the overall landscape of college basketball.
“If the color commentator says you live by the three and die by the three, turn the sound off and listen to someone else.”
https://soundcloud.com/user-255381604-824003950
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Blake Lovell is a national college basketball writer for ClutchPoints. He’s also a contributor for the Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook and Athlon Sports College Basketball Preview magazine. He hosts two podcasts: Marching to Madness (CBB) and Establish the Pass (NFL).
You can follow him on Twitter @theblakelovell. Also, be sure to follow the ClutchPoints NCAA Facebook page for more great CBB discussion.
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