I posted some of this in a thread on the basketball board, but I wanted to take things a little further for comparison's sake...
I noticed that James Woodard, Shaq Harrison, Rashad Ray and Rashad Smith all shot WAY more three-pointers in Haith's first season than they did in the season prior under Manning.
Woodard and Harrison's averages dipped a percent or two (Woodard from 38 to 37 percent), but they shot a ton more. Ray and Smith's percentages went up significantly: Smith 20 to 26, Ray 28 to 35. But the overall team percentage was only 32.1 percent.
The season prior under Manning wasn't much better at 32.7 percent. In Haith's second season, when they made the NCAA tournament, the team 3-point percentage was just 32.6. Last years team that tied for the AAC title was just 32.2 percent.
Frank's best 3-pt shooting teams at TU:
2016-17: 34.3 percent -- Etou and Taplin both over 40%
2017-18: 34.8 percent -- 6 players shot between 35 and 39%
2018-19: 34.0 percent -- 4 players between 34 and 39%
So I looked back at some other TU teams. Here is John Phillips going from his two successful seasons to the big drop-off, which included a plunge in 3-pt accuracy:
2001-02, 27-7 record: 40.5% from three (10th nationally) -- Harrington 38.5, Parker 39.7, Reed 41.2 and Swanson 49 percent.
2002-03, 23-10 record: 36.7% from three (75th nationally) -- Parker 34.2, Johnson 35.8, Glenn 40 and Swanson 43 percent.
2003-04, 9-20 record: 33.3% (222nd nationally) -- Collins 35.5 and Parker 37.5 percent.
Buzz Peterson's NIT championship team (26-11) hit 38.9% from three to rank 25th nationally. But Bill Self's Elite Eight squad was a meager 34.6% (150th nationally).
Tubby Smith's first Sweet 16 team in 1993-94 hit 40.4% from three, which was 6th nationally. That team could flat stroke it from deep. Jay Malham (40%), Shea Seals (40.8%), Pooh Williamson (45.3%) and Gary Collier (46.3%). Tubby's 94-95 Sweet 16 team shot just 34.1% from three (174th nationally).
I find it interesting that Haith's best 3-pt shooting teams were about on par with the 2001 Elite Eight team and Tubby's second Sweet 16 team. Wins can come with mediocre 3-pt shooting, but the team better excel in several other areas.
Then you look at many other great TU teams, and the 3-pt shooting is outstanding. I don't believe TU has shot over 35 percent from three as a team since Wojcik's final season in 2011-12, which was 38.4 percent (27th nationally) -- Haralson 40.7%, McClellan 38.3%, Clarkson 37.4% and Peete 35.9%.
This season was the lowest 3-pt percentage for TU since the three-point line was instituted in 1986...and the only time TU has been under 32 percent.
JD Barnett had two of the top five three-point shooting teams in TU history, including No. 1. Phillips, Tubby and Buzz Peterson had the other top five three-point shooting teams. Unfortunately for Haith, he has the bottom four three-point shooting teams, with this year's as the worst.
Here's a chart of Tulsa's 3-pt shooting since the 3-pt line was instituted in 1986 (35-year span). You can pull several things from it. One is that the only time TU has averaged 80+ points per game during that span is when they were top 10 nationally in 3-pt percentage.
Starting with Phillips' third season, TU has only been in the top 100 for 3-pt percentage one time. That's once in 18 years.
From 1994 to 2003 (10 years), Tulsa had eight NCAA appearances with two Sweet 16 and an Elite 8, along with an NIT championship. The average national rank for 3-pt shooting during that span was 102.5. They were in the top 25 three times.
Over the last 10 years, Tulsa's average national rank for 3-pt shooting is 214.8. Only once in the top 100.
I noticed that James Woodard, Shaq Harrison, Rashad Ray and Rashad Smith all shot WAY more three-pointers in Haith's first season than they did in the season prior under Manning.
Woodard and Harrison's averages dipped a percent or two (Woodard from 38 to 37 percent), but they shot a ton more. Ray and Smith's percentages went up significantly: Smith 20 to 26, Ray 28 to 35. But the overall team percentage was only 32.1 percent.
The season prior under Manning wasn't much better at 32.7 percent. In Haith's second season, when they made the NCAA tournament, the team 3-point percentage was just 32.6. Last years team that tied for the AAC title was just 32.2 percent.
Frank's best 3-pt shooting teams at TU:
2016-17: 34.3 percent -- Etou and Taplin both over 40%
2017-18: 34.8 percent -- 6 players shot between 35 and 39%
2018-19: 34.0 percent -- 4 players between 34 and 39%
So I looked back at some other TU teams. Here is John Phillips going from his two successful seasons to the big drop-off, which included a plunge in 3-pt accuracy:
2001-02, 27-7 record: 40.5% from three (10th nationally) -- Harrington 38.5, Parker 39.7, Reed 41.2 and Swanson 49 percent.
2002-03, 23-10 record: 36.7% from three (75th nationally) -- Parker 34.2, Johnson 35.8, Glenn 40 and Swanson 43 percent.
2003-04, 9-20 record: 33.3% (222nd nationally) -- Collins 35.5 and Parker 37.5 percent.
Buzz Peterson's NIT championship team (26-11) hit 38.9% from three to rank 25th nationally. But Bill Self's Elite Eight squad was a meager 34.6% (150th nationally).
Tubby Smith's first Sweet 16 team in 1993-94 hit 40.4% from three, which was 6th nationally. That team could flat stroke it from deep. Jay Malham (40%), Shea Seals (40.8%), Pooh Williamson (45.3%) and Gary Collier (46.3%). Tubby's 94-95 Sweet 16 team shot just 34.1% from three (174th nationally).
I find it interesting that Haith's best 3-pt shooting teams were about on par with the 2001 Elite Eight team and Tubby's second Sweet 16 team. Wins can come with mediocre 3-pt shooting, but the team better excel in several other areas.
Then you look at many other great TU teams, and the 3-pt shooting is outstanding. I don't believe TU has shot over 35 percent from three as a team since Wojcik's final season in 2011-12, which was 38.4 percent (27th nationally) -- Haralson 40.7%, McClellan 38.3%, Clarkson 37.4% and Peete 35.9%.
This season was the lowest 3-pt percentage for TU since the three-point line was instituted in 1986...and the only time TU has been under 32 percent.
JD Barnett had two of the top five three-point shooting teams in TU history, including No. 1. Phillips, Tubby and Buzz Peterson had the other top five three-point shooting teams. Unfortunately for Haith, he has the bottom four three-point shooting teams, with this year's as the worst.
Here's a chart of Tulsa's 3-pt shooting since the 3-pt line was instituted in 1986 (35-year span). You can pull several things from it. One is that the only time TU has averaged 80+ points per game during that span is when they were top 10 nationally in 3-pt percentage.
Starting with Phillips' third season, TU has only been in the top 100 for 3-pt percentage one time. That's once in 18 years.
From 1994 to 2003 (10 years), Tulsa had eight NCAA appearances with two Sweet 16 and an Elite 8, along with an NIT championship. The average national rank for 3-pt shooting during that span was 102.5. They were in the top 25 three times.
Over the last 10 years, Tulsa's average national rank for 3-pt shooting is 214.8. Only once in the top 100.
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