Good news for TCU men’s basketball’s 3-point shooting? It can’t get any worse
TCU men’s basketball missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time in four years last season, and 3-point shooting was a major reason why.
Last season, the Horned Frogs were one of the worst shooting teams from behind the arc, ranking 340th in the nation at 30 percent (195-for-650). They were the only team in the Big 12 to not make 200 3s.
They hope to change that with a bevy of transfers, all of whom have proficiency from behind the arc, including senior guard Jayden Pierre (Providence), junior guard Brock Harding (Iowa), junior guard Liutauras Lelevicius (Oregon State) and junior guard Tanner Toolson (Utah Valley).
TCU shot 33 percent on 3-pointers (9-for-27) in an 88-54 exhibition victory at Tarleton State on Oct. 19. Sophomore forward David Punch, the Horned Frogs’ only returning starter, made both of his attempts. Lelevicius and freshman guard Kayden “Bugg” Edwards each shot 2-for-3.
Leading up to the scrimmage, Punch talked about the improvement he’s already seen in the team’s 3-point shooting and how it will help his game and the team’s offense overall.
“I’m super excited to, you know, have all these shooters on my team,” he said. “It allows me to play one-on-one a lot more. I don’t feel a lot of people can stay in front of me at my position. I’m either too fast or too strong. So it just allows for me to have a lot of one-on-one opportunities, and, you know, if they want to send a double, I’m just going to pass it.”
Last season, Punch averaged 6.5 points, 4.4 rebounds and 0.9 blocks per game while shooting 27.6% on limited 3-point attempts (8-for-29). The Horned Frogs’ top returning 3-point shooter is sophomore forward Micah Robinson at 31.9% (22-for-69).
Among the transfers, Harding hit 39.8% of his 3-pointers (39-for-98) for the Hawkeyes, Lelevicius made 37.9% for the Beavers (36-for-95), Toolson shot 34.9% (66-for-189) for the Wolverines, and Pierre hit 34.2% (67-for-196) for the Friars.
TCU coach Jamie Dixon said the transfers could revitalize the team’s 3-point game.
“We think we’ve improved in that area,” he said. “We’ve made a concerted effort, and I think there’s a lot of things that go into 3-point shooting, you know, not just the shooting. You got to get open shots. You got to find ways to do that. You’ve got to have the athletes. You’ve got to get transition opportunities.
“... So, yeah, we’ve got better shooters, but we’ve got to put them in a good position to get open shots, too.”
Dixon also pointed out that last year’s shooting woes were in part because of injuries and shuffling players to different positions.
TCU opens the season against New Orleans at 7 p.m. Nov. 3 at Schollmaier Arena.
