Home On The Three Point Range (Or Not)

School sports information offices routinely put out press releases trumpeting upcoming games, touting the trends and achievements within the basketball program they represent. These releases are distributed in press rooms, emailed to a select list, and most often posted on-line.

Some points are more arcane than others.

Take, for instance, the assertion by an NC State flak that “When the Pack shoots 30% or better from 3-point range this season it is 14-1. It is 1-2 when it shoots below 30%. NC State shot below 30% from long range in both of its ACC losses this season.”

Kevin Keatts’ club also shot under 30 percent in a November win against Mercer (8-27, .296).

The note got us wondering, though. We checked to see how every ACC team fares when it converts under 3 in 10 3-point tries. Overall they’re 47-43 in such circumstances.

NC State is one of six ACC squads that lose more than they win when hitting under 30 percent from the bonusphere. Miami leads (or trails) with five losses and no victories when shooting that poorly from afar.

ACC teams don’t do all that well when trying fewer than 20 threes in a game, either. That’s especially true for Clemson, Georgia Tech and Pitt. In conference play, units that attempt under 20 shots from 3-point range are a cumulative 4-6.

Five teams have yet to try that few bombs in league action, but then no one has played more than six ACC games.

By the way, it’s worth noting -- and we may come back to this later -- that 60 percent of ACC clubs (9 of 15) are making fewer than a third of their threes. Last season it was 20 percent (3 of 15).