How efficient 3-point shooting has unlocked Clemson basketball’s best offense in years

[ad_1]

Clemson basketball is having its best offensive season under coach Brad Brownell.

The No. 25 Tigers (18-4, 10-1 ACC) average 77 points and have won six straight games after beating NC State on Saturday. They are a game out of first place in the ACC standings and on pace to make the NCAA tournament for the second straight season.

A key reason for Clemson’s success is its 3-point shooting. It averages nine 3-pointers and shoots 38.8% from 3-point range (11th in the nation) — both are the top numbers for the program under Brownell. It has made 10 or more 3-pointers in seven games this season and shot at or over 45% from 3-point range in six games.

Clemson will need to maintain this production as it begins a three-game homestand against Georgia Tech on Tuesday (9 p.m. ET, ACC Network), No. 2 Duke on Saturday (6 p.m. ET, ESPN) and North Carolina on Feb. 10 (7 p.m. ET, ESPN).

Under Brownell, Clemson has embraced 3-pointers, but its efficiency and contributions from multiple players this season has helped the team produce a 116.1 offensive rating (35th in country) and a 8.2 BPI offense per ESPN (19th) — both are the highest under Brownell.

Offensive rating is an estimate of points scored per 100 possessions and measures how well a team performs offensively, and BPI offense measures a team’s offensive strength compared to an average offense on a scale of points per 70 possessions.

“Certainly, it opens the basket area up for us,” Brownell said of the Tigers’ 3-point prowess. “It stretches defenses. We’re able to get some more easier baskets because teams do have to guard our three.”

Where Clemson basketball has the most success shooting 3-pointers

The Tigers shoot 157-for-396 (39.6) from the above-the-break zone, the area of the court that is away from the corners, according to CBB Analytics. In this area, they shoot 6.5% better than the Division I average. Guard Chase Hunter has made the most there with 50 baskets.

MORE: Will Clemson basketball’s Chase Hunter, Ian Schieffelin be…

[ad_2]
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/efficient-3-point-shooting-unlocked-100947615.html

Author : Greenville News

Publish date : 2025-02-03 10:09:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.