Since the NCAA adopted the 3-point shot in 1986, college basketball changed dramatically. A deadly shooter can turn a close game into a blow out or vice versa.
However, LSU lacked in that game-changing department last season.
The Tigers attempted the second-fewest 3-pointers in the Southeastern Conference last year, and nearly 100 less than their opponents through the duration of the season.
Collegiate greats like former Duke Blue Devil J.J. Redick mastered the art of 3-point shooting.
Redick owns the record for most 3-point field goals attempted and made in a college career. Redick became so adept at shooting the trey that he averaged 42.1 percent from beyond the 3-point line his senior year.
During Redick’s four seasons at Duke, the Blue Devils averaged 29 wins per season and advanced to the Sweet 16 three times and the Final Four once with Redick leading the team in scoring three out of four years.
The importance of the 3-pointer is even evident in the SEC.
Vanderbilt owned the highest 3-point shooting percentage in the conference last season at 36.9 percent and parlayed that into the second-best record in the conference behind powerhouse Kentucky.
LSU finished with the worst 3-point shooting percentage in the conference last season, shooting at an awful 28.7 percent clip, which parlayed into an 11-20 record.
Perhaps the main reason for the Tigers’ abandonment of 3-point shooting last season was they simply had nobody who could consistently knock down the shot.
Former Tiger Bo Spencer led the Tigers in 3-point attempts last season with 215, but only managed to connect 61 times.
The players with the top 3-point shooting percentages on the team last season — Chris Beattie, Zach Kinsley and Tasmin Mitchell — are no longer on the team.
The Tigers’ inability to hit the perimeter shot undoubtedly contributed to LSU getting outscored by an average of five points per game last season.
But things are looking better for the Tigers this season.
“I think you’ll definitely see an improvement,” said LSU coach Trent Johnson. “These guys have shown that they have range.”
Though it’s a small sample size, LSU showed potential for a better showing on the perimeter this season at the Purple and Gold scrimmage in the PMAC last Friday.
Freshman guard Ralston Turner — who Johnson said had probably secured a starting gig for the opener with his play this fall — nailed four treys in the scrimmage.
“I think we’re going to see a big improvement in our percentages from the outside,” said sophomore forward Eddie Ludwig. “All of our freshmen shoot really well, and it’s going to open things up for Storm [Warren] and Malcolm [White] inside.”
Turner scored 21 points in the game and connected on four of his five 3-point attempts. Turner and the rest of the purple squad combined to go 9-of-15 from beyond the arc in the game, good for a 60 percent clip.