The game is played differently in different parts of the country
Go out to the Midwest----Indiana , Illinois , Missouri and away from the Urban areas re is an emphasis on shooting.
Watch games from the Missouri Valley and the MAC----they have guys who can shoot and who are pretty good athletes.
I would hesitate to say this, but the star ratings again are forecasts for Pro Basketball potential, not college basketball winning programs.....
It's a catch-22....you find the shooters and sacrifice the defense/footspeed etc...but if we are fair about what we saw this year, CJ Gettys is RU's 4th or 5th best player and he couldn't earn a Power 5 conference offer out of HS from Ohio....he's not fast, very limited athletically, but has excellent court awareness and can take a 12-14 foot shot, if left open.
Florida is being carried by a grad transfer, Canyon Barry (one of Rick Barry's many sons that have played college basketball) and Barry played as a very small school before deciding to take his 5th year at Florida....I think he had 28 points vs Georgia Saturday afternoon.
The problem with looking at these results is we are seeing players in Year 4 or Year 5 and saying "see, why can't we have that", when no one watched the development, perhaps that player not playing much early in their career etc....OR no one pays attention to naming the starting 5 of Butler, Creighton, Xavier, Wichita State, Illinois State type of programs that have these shooters littered all over their rosters.
Are fans willing to wait for a Geo Baker to become a 36 to 38% 3 point shooter by his junior or senior season, or will they write him off, if he doesn't drain 40% from 3 point range or knock down 80 3's in a season.......I am exaggerating, because the best 3 point shooters barely shoot 38% of their 3's in a season, usually they are contested shots, against a shot clock and defenders guarding the 3 point line.
We also had fans complaining about a fairly good shooter like Mike Williams, who would make more shots at a Nevada type program or a freewheeling program that doesn't require players to play defense, rebound etc...Williams in a 3 guard alignment, in a league like the Big East or Missouri Valley or A-10, where you can play 3 guards all day long and don't have monsters like Michigan State's Miles Bridges, or Peter Jok types of matchups, would be a more efficient scorer....it's just tougher in the Big Ten, it's an elite conference and our lineups require more than spot up shooters.
Not making an excuse, but there are Jerome Coleman types all over the place....The NJ kid that went to Maryland a couple of years ago (Jared Nickens), made a LOT of threes as a freshman and sophomore....he's a really good shooter IMO.....but plays with an elite, lightning quick Point Guard in Melo Tremble, a player that can find a shooter in transition, where he can get shots up, before a defense is set.
57-146 (39% from 3 as a freshman)....
52-150 (34.7% from 3 as a sophomore)....
This year (not sure about injuries or others passing him in the rotation)....only 15-47 (31.9% from 3....as a junior.....)
Nickens is however 6 out of his last 9 3's made, all in the Big Ten, including 4-4 vs Michigan on the road).....prior to that, the numbers were 9-39 from 3....for a good shooter.
Here are Mike Williams' stats from 3, consider that Year 1 & 2 under Eddie, was a lot of forced-quick shots that many would consider as bad shots, because there was no structure, big deficits when games where decided, etc...
24-100 (24% as a freshman)....
50-158 (31.6% as a sophomore....keep in mind, Mike's percentages prior to the finale vs Minnesota at the RAC, looked very close to his frosh percentages from 3...I think he was under 26% from 3 before that game)....
29-83 (34.9% as a junior)....much better shot selection, more offensive structure and less forced shots and also another guard in Nigel Johnson to help find him as well.....not just Corey Sanders etc...
It just takes time to build a roster and find the players that can play offense, defense and do more than just shoot...and Maryland is 16-2 and Nickens barely plays these days....
I think if we can find someone to spot up, Sanders can find them and/or, the offense would function better with one more shooter.....Nigel has to be better than what he's showed, but yes, another shooter with Sanders would have a major impact on the roster.
I think if we get 35% from Mike Williams and 31-32% from Baker next year in a limited role, things will look better.
