KU swished double-digit 3s in its first 2 games of season, not a lot since then
Kansas’ outside shooting did not appear to be a team weakness — albeit in games played against lesser competition — at the start of the 2023-24 men’s basketball season.
The Jayhawks converted 13-of-23 3s in the opener against N.C. Central, then went 10-of-26 from beyond the arc against Manhattan. It should be noted, however, that three of those made 3s were buried by non-scholarship senior guard Michael Jankovich at the end of a pair of routs.
Since the Manhattan contest on Nov. 10, the Jayhawks (22-10) have failed to hit double-digit 3s in any game. Meanwhile, KU’s opponents have made 10 or more 3s in seven contests, five in Big 12 play. KU did hit as many as nine 3s against both UConn and Yale.
“The bottom line is we haven’t shot the ball well beyond the arc since the second game of the season,” said KU coach Bill Self, adding that his team has “run really good offense and scored a lot of 2s. We’re probably as efficient as anybody in America inside the arc.
“We need to be able to make six or seven 3s (per game). When you get outscored 15 to 30 points every game from beyond the arc, that’s a lot of 2s and you don’t have enough opportunities to make those up,” Self added.
The cold, hard stats indicate this year’s KU team is on track to be one of the worst 3-point shooting squads in the 21-year Self era.
Granted, KU still has time to start connecting from deep starting Thursday when the Jayhawks meet Samford in a first-round NCAA Tournament Midwest Regional game (8:55 p.m., Central time, Delta Center in Salt Lake City).
As of Tuesday, however, KU has made 180 of 547 3s for 32.9%. If the season ended Tuesday, it’d be KU’s worst percentage from 3-point range since the 1995-96 KU squad hit 32.6% from beyond the arc.
Again if the season ended Tuesday, the 180 3s made would be the fewest in a season since the Jayhawks hit 159 in 1999-2000. The Jayhawks, however, are just 19 3s shy of the 199 made in 2019-20. KU made 189 in 2013-14.
“We do have to shoot it better,” Self said. “You’ve got to step up, make more than what we’ve done. We’ve made I think 6 of our last 43, something like that — a couple of those by walk-ons. That’s not exactly lighting it up.”
KU over its last two games has made 6 of its last 41 3s. Take away walk-on 3s and KU has cashed 5 of its last 39 3-pointers for 12.8%.
“I know we are better than that. We’ll shoot it better,” said Self, who has stressed all season players such as Nick Timberlake (25-of-88, .284) have often sizzled from beyond the arc at practice.
“Nick shot it well on Senior Night (4-of-5 against Kansas State) and Juan (Harris, 25-of-66, .379) has to be able to make one out of two or one out of three from beyond the arc,” Self said. “When we have our full complement of guys and you put Kevin (McCullar) out there, we’ve got enough threats we can stretch the defense and run good offense.”
McCullar has made 39 of 117 3s for 33.3%. Johnny Furphy has made 40 of 113 for 35.4%.
“We didn’t get shots tonight but that will happen,” a confident Jamari McDowell said after the Jayhawks converted 3 of 20 3s in their last game, a 72-52 loss to Cincinnati in the second round of the Big 12 tournament.
Self said: “You’ve got to get open to let it fly. Everybody will have to be aggressive. Juan will have to shoot the ball. Johnny and Nick need to have good shooting nights.”
Of course winning basketball is not all about 3-point shooting. On the defensive front, KU’s opponents have hit 265 of 797 3s this year for 33.2%. That’s 85 more 3s made than the Jayhawks.
“I am concerned that it always it comes down to making shots. The bottom line a lot of times it is easier to keep somebody from doing something than it is you doing it yourself. That’s how shooting is sometimes. You defend the arc you don’t have to make as many 3s,” Self said.
The upcoming NCAA Tournament gives a player such as senior shooting guard Timberlake a chance to return to his form at Towson where he was known as a 3-point marksman.
“We had a little team outing (Saturday) … Nick pointed out that’s one of the biggest reasons he came here was to play in the tournament,” Self said. “I said, ‘You can play in it or you can play in it and have it be a lasting memory.’ The thing about it is at the end of the season — when it’s over it comes so abruptly for everybody — you want to delay that as long as you possibly can.”
