NCAA moves back 3-point line

[Da Coach]

Here are a couple articles about the potential change in the 3-point line that mention Jeremy Crouch, who tied for the national lead in 3-point percentage--

http://feed.insnews.org/v-cgi/feeds.cgi?feedid=144&story_id=2904676

http://www.aggiesports.com/stories/050407/mbasketball_20070504015.php

[tornado]

Here is an article labelling this move as specifically aimed at mid-majors.

"The three-point line has been the bread-and-butter of the mids ... and today, the NCAA threw dirty dishwater all over it. It's always been their equalizer. It just got harder."

http://www.aolsportsblog.com/2007/05/03/longer-three-point-line-to-further-seperate-majors-and-mid-major/

also,
"Prepare To See Ugly Courts"

Even more lines cluttering the court.

http://ncaabasketball.aolsportsblog.com/2007/05/03/prepare-to-see-ugly-courts/

[Majik45]

If they want to move it back, I don't see why they don't use the international 3 point line. It makes no sense to make it different.

[Da Coach]

When has the NCAA ever done anything that made sense?
I agree that if there is to be a change, it should change to the international distance.

They also do not plan to make this change applicable to women's basketball (why not? do they think it is harder for women to shoot from the longer distance?) which means thousands of courts (all levels of the NCAA and any court where an NCAA game will be played), will have to have different lines for men and women's games. That will surely cause confusion for officials and players.

[tornado]

Let's say, what if the NCAA soon changes the womens NCAA line to 20' 4", then you'd have different distances for high school, men's college, women's college, international, and NBA.

I'd love to see that floor.

[Dubl R 1]

I Have mixed feelings about this rule. I agree that this may hurt smaller schools more than the BCS guys, but come on, 19'9" is a joke for college basketball players. I mean it is the same length for a 3 pointer for grade schoolers. It is just too short for the college game. I wouldn't mind seeing it being a little longer, like the international distance but there may be court width issues in the corner.(not sure on college vs international court width)

This rule should open up the midrange and inside game a little bit, as defenses will have to be extended to cover the longer 3 point line. I don't think good shooters will be that effected by a change of only a foot. I don't notice much change in accuracy or mechanics until I get out around NBA range of about 23 feet.

The other thing is you'll have all kinds of asterisks in the record books for 3 pointers made and percentages as far as records go as to before/after the line was moved. I don't know, like I say, I have mixed feelings about it. I wish they would have made it longer from the get go.

Please ignore my ignorance, as I thought the International line was 21'6", instead of the actual distance of 20'6". This pretty much makes the last few sentences of my first paragraph absolutely worthless. Sorry.

[Average Joe]

do they think it is harder for women to shoot from the longer distance

Didn't they once think it was harder for women to run any significant distance?
They used to have the girls play half-court basketball, and they never had girls distance running events in track.

also, some floors already have two and even three different lanes demarcated because of college, NBA, and Euro games.

[meth]

Here is a floor kit presently available, with 2 arcs and 2 lanes.
Now they will have to add one more line.

[tornado]

It didn't take long for the calls to change the various state rules and make the high school distance the same as the new college line.
Now every high school (and probably grade school) will have to add more lines.

http://www.newyorksportswriters.org/blog/blog-2007-05-04.shtml

[ACBL]

The NBA shortened its 3-point distance by a foot in 1994-1995.

In the very first year after they moved it back a foot, the # of 3 pointers attempted

per game dropped from 34 to 25, but overall scoring did not change.

[daPAWW1]

tornado - absolutely agree!

Tornado - you are not paranoid - you are spot on with your comments and follow up article! I can't believe that current 3-point percentages won't be effected - just think if BU shot 3-5% worse this past campaign we probably would not have won 20+ games, maybe wouldn't have had a 4 seed in the MVC Tourney nor may not have gotten an NIT bid! Now I understand that everyone is going to have to play by this potential rules change but we all know the better distance shooters (+ 19' 9" i.e. Matt Roth) are going 'major' and as always so will the elite 'bigs'! I believe this BS about expanding the area inside the arc to reduce physical play and fouls is just another ploy for the 'majors' to diminish the recent effect of 'mid majors' on 'THEIR' tournament!

[MacabreMob]

Re: tornado - absolutely agree!

Tornado - you are not paranoid - you are spot on with your comments and follow up article! I can't believe that current 3-point percentages won't be effected - just think if BU shot 3-5% worse this past campaign we probably would not have won 20+ games, maybe wouldn't have had a 4 seed in the MVC Tourney nor may not have gotten an NIT bid! Now I understand that everyone is going to have to play by this potential rules change but we all know the better distance shooters (+ 19' 9" i.e. Matt Roth) are going 'major' and as always so will the elite 'bigs'! I believe this BS about expanding the area inside the arc to reduce physical play and fouls is just another ploy for the 'majors' to diminish the recent effect of 'mid majors' on 'THEIR' tournament!

Maybe Michigan St wouldn't have hit 61.5% against us; maybe Wichita St wouldn't have hit 57.9% in Wichita; maybe UNI wouldn't have hit 80.0% against us in Peoria.

[TheAsianSensation]

This won't change a whole lot, IMO. This won't change the preference for the 3-point shot in the college game.

What it will prevent is high-scoring games.

[tornado]

Another opinion from FoxSports writer and basketball expert Yoni Cohen

http://msn.foxsports.com/cbk/story/6783680