Kansas basketball: Three-point shooting will be more critical next season
Kansas basketball relied heavily on scoring in the paint last season; however, that could change next year.
Last season, Kansas basketball scored the majority of their points in the paint according to KenPom. That’s to be expected when you have arguably the most dominant big man in college basketball and a speedy point guard that excels at getting to the rim. The problem is, both Dotson and Azubuike are gone now.
With returning players playing more important roles and new players coming in, the style of next season’s team will likely be at least somewhat different from last season. Definitely the most stark difference between last year and the upcoming season will be the Jayhawks’ increased reliance on the three-pointer.
Time to shine for Christian Braun, Ochai Agbaji and Bryce Thompson
Two players who will really need to step up from behind the arc are Ochai Agbaji and Christian Braun. Last season, Agbaji shot around 34 percent from three, while Braun led the team with 44.4 percent. Both will be responsible for keeping the defense spread out, and both will be important to the Jayhawks’ success next season.
Incoming freshman Bryce Thompson should also be a threat to score from three-point range. 247 Sports‘ Josh Gershon described Thompson as a “big-time scorer who can knock down shots from all three levels,” so he will undoubtedly be a valuable asset.
The X-Factor
When someone says “Marcus Garrett,” offense isn’t usually the first thing people thing of, let alone three-point shooting. Last season, Garrett shot almost 33 percent from behind the three-point line; however, he proved that he’s capable of catching fire when the Jayhawks played Oklahoma. In that game, Garrett knocked down six three-pointers in a 24 point-performance.
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Despite having a slightly different style than last year’s team, next season’s squad should be really good. They’ll still have a powerful post presence with David McCormack, and they should also be phenomenal on the defensive end.