Musketeer Madness

http://collegebasketball247.blogspot.com/

I agree with this kid about teams that play good D will adapt better to the new line, but this might force X's big men to shoulder more of the scoring than in recent years.

This would (theoretically) be playing to our strength this season (front line scoring). It should also revive the mid range jumper as an almost obsolete offensive weapon.

I am quite interested in seeing the way it changes the dynamic of that high pick and roll play, and the way that teams defend it by jumping out over the set pick. I could be entirely wrong, but I see a guy like Radford standing on the opposite wing for an outlet off this play as a secret weapon. Either the defensive player has to shade in to help out, or the middle of the floor opens up more. Theoretically.

I think this will benefit xavier alot in the upcoming season. With c.j. being a slasher he now has more room in the lane to work with, this will also help because from what i'm hearing about lyons and hollaway is that they are quick off the dribble but not the greatest long range shooters. Obviously this will benefit derrick brown getting to the basket as well. As far as the shooters go, i think redford will be fine considering the videos i have seen him in, and i think b.j. will adjust and be fine as well.

The new three-point line is one of the biggest reasons I believe Redford will have to play this season. Aside from BJ, and he has not been that consistent (He had streaks last season where he was in serious shooting slumps) Xavier has no other real outside marksman.
To be effective at slashing, you need to be at least a cursory threat from outside.

If Holloway is more of a playmaker than a shooter, and Lyons' strong point is getting to the rim, X could have less 3-pt. attempts from our backcourt than we've had in a while.

Redford could change that, of course, assuming he's not redshirted and gets decent minutes.

I see the new 3-point distance having little effect on the game. People who were somewhat ineffective shooting from beyond the arc in the past will be even less likely to shoot the trey now. That might be the only substantial change that the 1-foot difference will have. Based on footage I've seen of him, Redford's range extended well beyond the old distance, so it won't affect him. BJ has been quoted as saying that he anticipates little if any problem adjusting to the new distance. And Brian Walsh is said to be among the team's better long-range shooters.

Defensively, since the added arc is only about a third of a stride more distant, it is difficult to imagine that there will be an additional huge open space for offenses to exploit, especially against Miller's Pack-Line D. If anything, the Muskies might benefit slightly by our youthful backcourt players having just a shade more space in their passing and driving lanes. By that I mean that the shorter arc would condense those lanes slightly, leaving less room for error for players just learning to play the game at the faster D-1 major college level.

I guess I tend to see the sunny side of this situation for XU rather than assuming negatives.

Good teams will adapt and bad teams will not.

We, like most teams, had stretches where the 3 just wasn't falling, and it really brought our offense to a halt. If it's less of a factor in our offense, and we're only taking it when it's a really good shot, that might actually make our offense less dependent on the trey.

I expect C.J. to really blossom this year. I think he was getting used to a higher level of competition than he'd seen at Manhattan. I also expect DBrown to step up, and Raymond to be more consistent.

Mr. Neutral wrote:We, like most teams, had stretches where the 3 just wasn't falling, and it really brought our offense to a halt. If it's less of a factor in our offense, and we're only taking it when it's a really good shot, that might actually make our offense less dependent on the trey.

I expect C.J. to really blossom this year. I think he was getting used to a higher level of competition than he'd seen at Manhattan. I also expect DBrown to step up, and Raymond to be more consistent.

I think I hear tinges of optimism!

As an elder statesman on this board, I can say without trepidation that I would be able to miss at either the old or the new.