Three-point shooting hasn’t been a focal point of the Kansas men’s basketball offense for a couple of seasons.
The Jayhawks finished ninth in the Big 12 in 3-point shooting percentage and 15th in 3-point attempts per game last year. Nationally, Kansas was 269th in those shots per game and 151st in making them.
But those numbers are likely to improve this year with a reloaded roster that has depth in its shooters who can hit outside shots consistently. Scrimmages and practices have left the Jayhawks with a confidence that it will be a strength this season.
“We’ve got a lot of shooters, especially with the addition of Tre (White) back,” Dennis Parker Jr. said. “It’s straight shooters across the floor. You’ve got guards that can find shooters … and they can score and shoot. That part is very helpful for this team.”
The Jayhawks brought in more shooters from the transfer portal who have demonstrated an ability to hit outside shots at the Division I level. Parker transferred to KU from Radford, where he shot nearly 38% on his 3-point attempts. He said that while he’s never just been a catch-and-shoot shooter, it’s a skill he’s worked on and developed.
“It’s something that you’ve got to learn and do, especially in this era of college basketball,” Parker said.
Leroy Blyden Jr. transferred from Toledo and has also spent his time in college developing into a better shooter. Blyden spent most of his basketball life as an on-ball guard but has built the necessary skills to play more off the ball and be a dynamic threat while shooting.
“There’s attention on the ball, so when I’m off the ball, I can move around and get open shots,” Blyden said. “Defenses can kind of lose sight of you when you move around a lot.”
Freshman Luke Barnett has quickly shown his shooting prowess in practice. Barnett arrived in Lawrence after a prolific high school career from beyond the arc at Mater Dei High School in California, and that shooting has impressed coaches and teammates already.
Having multiple shooters at different positions on the court at the same time makes everything easier for those shooters. They might already have a confident shot, but when defenses are closing out hard on a couple guys, that gives the rest of the team more wiggle room and space to shoot and move around.
Shooting is a skill that doesn’t always translate from a practice gym to the real-game situations, where defenders are closing out fast and the pressure is high. But what gives some Jayhawks confidence that their shooting will translate to games throughout the season is the consistency in which the team has shot the ball.
“It’s consistency,” Parker said. “It’s showing up every day with that same chip and effort. If you shoot the ball well every day in practice, you get the mental strength to be ready for the game. You can be subbed at any moment, so you have to be ready.”
Blyden said the team has made open shots, hit contested shots at the end of the shot clock and has generated lots of open looks. Having playmakers who can facilitate and score opens the offense up, and that leads to players having more open shots from deep.
Being a good shooting team is about more than just having someone who can hit outside shots. It takes a team spacing the floor, with athletes who can attack downhill and score in the paint working in concert with shooting beyond the arc. Guards need to be able to get the ball in the right place at the right time so open shooters can shoot.
Creating those open looks doesn’t just happen on the perimeter. Junior walk-on guard Will Thengvall said the Jayhawks have big men who can stretch the floor and demand attention even when they aren’t overly close to the basket. That creates space for guards to drive to the basket, which helps open up space for shooters outside the 3-point line. The depth and versatility the team has helps put pressure on defenses, and it all culminates in generating more open looks.
“It makes other teams have to chase us, and then we get better, open shots,” Thengvall said. “I’m super impressed with the shooting, I think it’ll be a great thing for us, which will open up the floor.”
There isn’t one ingredient in a team that makes it a strong 3-point shooting team, but what the Jayhawks have are experienced shooters and an offense that can generate the open looks they need to consistently make shots. Those components have given the team a lot of excitement for what the offense could look like as the season progresses.
“There’s a lot of guys who can space the floor with guys who work very hard on their shot,” Barnett said. “Guys can stretch the floor in a bunch of different positions. We do a good job generating open looks, and we also have the personnel who can knock it down at a high rate.”
