There may be a trend brewing here.
About a third of the way through the 2017-18 season, Virginia Tech is converting 3-pointers at a .467 rate. This would not mean much trendwise except this is the third straight year an ACC school has made better than 40 percent from the bonusphere, something that hadn’t been done even once since North Carolina in 2005.
What’s more, this is the second straight season the Hokies boast better than 40 percent accuracy on threes. Only Pitt makes good on a higher portion of its field goals from beyond the arc (.337 versus .321). Only BC, Pitt and Duke have launched more 3-pointers.
Finally, Virginia Tech’s accuracy from long range at this juncture is the best by an ACC club in the 32 years the shot has been in effect throughout college basketball. (North Carolina hit at a .468 clip in 1983 with a shorter, experimental 3-pointer.)
This embrace of threedom may be a reflection of coach Buzz Williams’ uptempo philosophy, in the vein of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets. So far Virginia Tech leads the ACC in scoring with a gaudy 95.3 points per game.
Or, the Hokies’ prolific and accurate 3-point shooting may reflect the return of three of last year’s four top outside marksmen – Ahmed Hill, Justin Robinson and Justin Bibbs. (The last two are not to be confused with Justin Time, who helped the Hokies win in an extra period at Oxford, Mississippi, on Dec. 2.)
Or, perhaps, Virginia Tech’s style reflects both its coach’s approach and the talent he recruited to play the way he prefers. Hill and Robinson are juniors, Bibbs a senior. This is Williams’ fourth year at Blacksburg.
While results after 11 games aren’t definitive, they are suggestive, and well worth following to see if the Hokies have hit a preferred stride, with potentially record-breaking efficiency.
HOKIES HEED CRY OF THREEDOM Most Accurate 3-Point Shooting ACC Teams in History (Virginia Tech Stats Through Games of Dec. 16) |
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3 Pct. | School | Season | 3At-3Made |
.467 | Virginia Tech | 2018 | 113-242 |
.448 | Clemson | 1987 | 203-453 |
.436 | North Carolina | 1987 | 213-488 |
.434 | Duke | 1992 | 171-394 |
.432 | N.C. State | 1990 | 180-417 |
.4300 | North Carolina | 1988 | 169-393 |
.4295 | Maryland | 1988 | 195-454 |
.423 | Georgia Tech | 1988 | 154-364 |
.42071 | Wake Forest | 1996 | 260-618 |
.42069 | Maryland | 1987 | 122-290 |
.419 | Wake Forest | 1989 | 152-363 |
.415 | N.C. State | 1991 | 267-644 |
.413 | N.C. State | 1987 | 164-397 |
.4105 | North Carolina | 1995 | 266-648 |
.4098 | N.C. State | 1988 | 125-305 |
.40896 | Wake Forest | 1987 | 146-357 |
.4032 | North Carolina | 2005 | 277-687 |
.4031 | Georgia Tech | 1990 | 260-645 |
.40287 | Virginia | 2016 | 224-556 |
.40277 | Virginia Tech | 2017 | 290-720 |
.40222 | Wake Forest | 1993 | 181-450 |
.40217 | Duke | 1987 | 148-368 |
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