NCAA Basketball: 16 best shooters entering 2020-21 season
Group 3: Under The Radar
Stef Smith – Vermont
Anthony Lamb understandably got all the attention at Vermont last season, but Smith is a talented scorer that shot 49.4% from long-range in conference play. Perhaps he could lead the Catamounts to an NCAA Tournament victory next season. He’s not crazy at all for testing draft waters.
Loren Jackson – Akron
Jackson’s long-range efficiency took a huge leap in 2019-20, improving from 30.0% on 6.7 attempts per game his sophomore year to 42.8% on 6.9 attempts per game last season. He will be one of only three potential returning players that shot better than 42.0% from three AND dished out at least 4.5 assists per game (Marcus Zegarowski and Dayton’s Jalen Crutcher the others).
Tevin Brown – Murray State
Brown benefitted from Ja Morant creating open looks in 2018-19 but continued his great shooting in 2019-20. He’s done a little bit of everything for the Racers, and only 14 players saw more than his 37.4 minutes per game last season.
Hunter McIntosh – Elon
Only five teams chucked threes at a higher rate than Elon last season (49.3% attempt rate), and McIntosh thrived in this setting his freshmen season. Among first-years that attempted at least 5.8 threes per game, only Kuxhausen and Spencer Jones shot a better percentage.
Nick Sherod – Richmond
Sherod will be one of three potential returning players that offered a strong combination of 3-point shooting and rebounding. Only he, John Petty and Mitch Ballock averaged at least 2.5 threes, five rebounds AND shot at least 40.0% from downtown. Sherod will be a key contributor for a Spiders squad that should be primed to make the program’s first tournament appearance since 2011.
Next. Biggest early winners of 2020 offseason. dark
Matt Halvorsen – Western Carolina
87.4% of Halvorsen’s shot attempts and 85.7% of his made field goals were 3-pointers last season. No other player had at least 194 3-point attempts AND less than or equal to 222 field goal attempts.