Ill At The ‘Ville: Outside Shooting Has Been A Real Problem For The Cardinals

Talk about consistency!

Over the past two seasons despite changing circumstances, shifting coaching guidance and churning rosters, the Louisville Cardinals have made virtually an identically lousy percentage of their 3-point tries. Both were among the 18 worst team conversion rates in the ACC this century, rounding off to 30.9 percent accuracy.

Last season’s team was marginally better than the ’21 group, but still worst in the conference. In trailing the 2022 field they barely edged Boston College. Only two Cards hit better than a breakeven .333 percentage from beyond the arc in ’22: Florida transfer Noah Locke (.342 on 199 attempts) and Elbert “El” Ellis (.360), who came over from Tallahassee Community College. Ellis returns this season.

Eight of the worst groups of perimeter bombardiers this century demonstrated their inaccuracy over the past three seasons with the arc extended farther from the basket.

Arguably the two most consequential groups of dud droppers involved Duke – in 2019, when the Blue Devils’ lousy outside shooting (.30786) sank a squad that came within an eyelash of reaching the Final Four behind Zion Williamson and RJ Barrett, and in 2015 when, facing a feckless group of Louisville marksmen (.3075) on their home court, Mike Krzyzewski shifted tactics and employed a zone extensively. The surprising adjustment, employed throughout the rest of the year, invigorated Duke’s defense and helped to secure an NCAA title.

Louisville, by the way, now has posted three of the 18 worst 3-point performances of the century, and it’s only been in the ACC for eight years.

Interestingly half of the ACC’s weak-shooting bonusphere bunches posted winning overall records, the preponderance notching at least 20 wins.