STrib: Shooting fewer three-pointers could be the answer to the Gophers basketball team's offensive slumps

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BleedGopher

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per Marcus:

If the Gophers hadn't hit 17 three-pointers against Iowa at home this season they might not have what currently is the best win on their NCAA tournament resume.

But beyond that record-setting Christmas Day shooting display there really isn't another victory this season where Richard Pitino and his basketball team could say three-point shooting was the answer.

In fact, it seems to be the opposite. It might be the problem when the offense stalls.

The No. 23 Gophers (10-4, 3-4 in the Big Ten), who host No. 7 Michigan on Saturday, have often gone with a live-or-die approach with three-point shooting. Problem is they're not able to live on it much, ranking last in the Big Ten in three-point shooting percentage (30.3%).

Relying on outside shots even when the jumpers aren't falling appears part of the reason the Gophers struggled mightily on offense in four road losses this season, including in Sunday's 86-71 loss at Iowa. They shot 10-for-34 from three (29.4%).

"It's hard to turn down open shots," Pitino said Sunday. "They're going to dare you a little bit to make them. You got to be a little bit smarter and say, 'We're not hitting right now. Let's attack that lane. Throw it inside and kick out.'"

www.startribune.com

Shooting fewer three-pointers could be the answer to the Gophers basketball team's offensive slumps

The Gophers men's basketball team ranks last in the Big Ten in three-point shooting percentage, but it still attempts the fourth most in the league. Could taking fewer threes result in more offensive consistency after back-to-back losses?
www.startribune.com www.startribune.com

Go Gophers!!
 

You know the old saying “bad shooters keep shooting”? That could be on the Gopher basketball crest.
 


It’s like a lead-footed baseball team turning to base-stealing to win games.
 



Or a softball team hitting only deep fly outs. "That last one was only a few feet short."
 

What has happened to our transition offense? So many times I see someone hustling down (usually Robbins or Johnson) open for an easy pass/layup and we dribble and allow the defense to set up. We need to take advantage of any "easier" type offensive trips we can get and not allow the defense to set up every time down the floor.
 

Clearly this is not a good outside shooting team. Even in the Iowa game, where 17 threes were made, the percentages were still bad. Consider Johnson hit 8-9 and the team still didn't shoot over 40% from three. If you remove the unbelievable shooting he provided, the rest of the team shot 26.5% from distance.....brutal.

If I am game planning against the Gophers, its zone and force the outside shot. Shooting less 3 pointers (or making more) is the answer to avoid so many empty possessions. However it's hard to do if quality opponents are playing the initial screen hard, packing it in after that and betting someone won't shoot 8-9 again.
 

GopherNC said:
What has happened to our transition offense? So many times I see someone hustling down (usually Robbins or Johnson) open for an easy pass/layup and we dribble and allow the defense to set up. We need to take advantage of any "easier" type offensive trips we can get and not allow the defense to set up every time down the floor.
Click to expand...


I am constantly amazed how many times I see a Gopher loping down through the lane on a transition and nobody ever passes them the ball. Our guards don't even think about it, but instead pull up and start dribbling or kick it to a wing who just passes it back right away.

Other teams kill us with the same thing all the time, because they actually try to push the ball into the paint before we get set and sometimes its so easy it almost looks like it had been the finish on a breakaway.
 



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