Is It Time to Move the Men’s College Basketball’s 3 Point Line Back Another Foot Survey?

With the 3 point shot being instituted into college basketball in 1984 the 3 point line was 21 feet from the backboard where the rim attaches to it and 20’9″ from the middle of the basket’s 18 inch in diameter rim. It was later moved out a foot to make it 22 feet.

The 3 point shooting percentages have increased some percentage wise for both individual players and for teams. The use of the 3 point shot in attempts has increased with each passing season at all levels.

It only takes 8 for 24 FGA’s – 3 pointers for 24 points which is 33%, while it takes 50% shooting of 12 for 24  – 2 pointers to equal 24 points.

The 3 point shot has changed the game more than any other rule since the center jump after every basket in the early 1930’s.

This  year out of the 351 D-1 teams only 10 teams shot 40.0% or more, with the highest was Michigan State’s 43.5%. 254 of the 351 teams shot 33.0% or better.

On an individual player basis  116 out of 4914 D-1 players shot 33.0% or better. To qualify a player had to make at least 2.5 made 3 pointers per game.

Is it time that the college 3 point arc should be moved out another foot and that would put it right in the middle between the high schools 21 foot and the NBA’s 25 feet from the backboard where the rim is attached to it  or 21’9″ for the college to the NBA’s 23’9″ and the high school’s 19’9″ from the middle of the basket’s 18 inch diameter.

Any college player who shoots over 50% for threes should be a superior 3 point shooter, 40%-45% should be considered an excellent 3 point shooter, 40%-44% for 3’s should considered an above average 3 point percentage shooter, anyone at 33% to 39% should be considered an average 3 point shooter percentage wise, anyone from 27%-32% is a below average 3 point shooter and players from 0-26% are poor 3 point shooters.

This past year the top 3 point shooter shot 50.8% and he was the only one above 50%.

With Steph Curry shooting 42.5% and teammates Klay Thompson at 45.7% and Draymond Green at 38.8% from behind the 3 point line in the NBA for the NBA Season with the line 3 feet further than the current college line, the more players are being allowed by their coaches at all levels to shoot more threes.

It truly has become for many teams at all levels a “LIVE BY THE THREE, DIE BY THE THREE. It is great if it is going in, but when it isn’t the long rebounds on missed shots takes the shooting teams offensive rebounders out of position to get the ball and allows the defense to get the long bricks to help start their fastbreak.

By moving the college line back a foot, maybe it will discourage some teams and players to reduce their 3 point attempts. Many college teams take over 35% of their field goal attempts as 3 point attempts.

Using the foul line which is 15 feet from where the basket is attached to the backboard, for every foot farther away from the basket could/might decrease the shooting percentages by 5 percentage points. By moving the college 3 point line another foot to 23 feet it might make the shot 5% points more difficult.

So with what has been presented about rather the 3 point college line should be moved out a foot.

I am leaving it up to you readers to decide the pros and cons, about whether  the college 3 point line should be moved out a foot further to 23′ or 21.9”  for the betterment of the college game?

Survey:

To vote in this survey one way or another just go to the comment section (at the bottom of this article) and vote either yes or no.

I will total up the votes in a week or so and let you know how the voting ended up either in favor or not in favor of extending the college 3 point line by one foot.

If you also have any other suggestions about the 3 point line at all levels please feel free to post them in the comment section also.