Indiana's 3-Point Shooting Has Improved; Will it Continue Against Stingy Rutgers Defense?

Indiana is shooting 40.7% from 3-point range across the last seven games, a major improvement from the beginning of the season. Next up is a road game against a strong Rutgers defense, which will challenge Indiana's recent shooting improvement.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Through Indiana's first six games, 3-point shooting was a major weakness.

The Hoosiers didn't attempt many. When they did, it wasn't pretty. In that stretch, Indiana went 19-for-79 from 3-point range, an abysmal 24.1%.

After that, it was time for Big Ten play, and Indiana coach Mike Woodson knew the path to winning was not by hoisting frequent long-range attempts. The Hoosiers won their first two conference games, against Maryland and at Michigan, and shot 3-for-9 from beyond the arc in both. That is a solid percentage, but it's also very low volume in today's college basketball.

Then something changed. Indiana started attempting more threes and hit them at a much higher rate. Across the last seven games, Indiana is 48-for-118 on 3-point attempts, good for 40.7%. For context, Purdue has shot 39.4% from three this season, which leads the Big Ten and ranks 11th in the country.

During that stretch, Indiana attempted 16.9 threes per game, a noticeable but not drastic increase from its 12.1 attempts per game in the first eight games. Indiana has made at least five 3-pointers in six of the last seven games after making four or fewer in each of the first eight games.

The last seven games have also included 3-point shooting marks of 12-for-24 against North Alabama and 9-for-18 against Nebraska. The one outlier was Indiana's 3-for-18 night against Morehead State, but Indiana has shot at least 35.3% from beyond the arc in six of the last seven games.

Sure, the best shooting night of this seven-game stretch came against North Alabama, but four of the games came against No. 16 Auburn, No. 3 Kansas and conference games against Nebraska and Ohio State. Indiana shot 26-for-63, or 41.3% on 15.8 3-point attempts per game in those four games.

All of this has raised Indiana's season-long 3-point percentage to a slightly above-average 34%, which ranks 170th out of 362 teams through 15 games. That figure ranks 11th in the Big Ten, but teams two through 11 sit within 3.6% of each other. The last four games have been especially promising, with Indiana going 33-for-69, or 47.8%, on 17.3 attempts per game.

Indiana still ranks last in the Big Ten in both total 3-point attempts and shots made, though the last seven games suggest individual shooting improvements have been made and that Woodson is coaching his team to shoot a bit more from beyond the arc. Opponents may also be sagging off Indiana shooters and committing more defenders to the paint based on the Hoosiers' early-season trends.

Here's a quick breakdown of the Hoosiers' individual numbers through 15 games. 

• Mackenzie Mgbako: 17-for-55, 30.9%
• Trey Galloway: 12-for-45, 26.7%
• Malik Reneau: 11-for-23, 47.8%
• Kaleb Banks: 5-for-19, 26.3%
• Kel'el Ware: 6-for-18, 33.3%
• Gabe Cupps: 6-for-16, 37.5%
• CJ Gunn: 5-for-15, 33.3%
• Xavier Johnson: 7-for-12, 58.3%
• Anthony Walker: 2-for-9, 22.2%
• Anthony Leal: 2-for-3, 66.7%

Moving forward, Indiana's bread and butter will likely still be around the rim, whether it's Malik Reneau posting up, Kel'el Ware dunking lob passes, or Xavier Johnson and Trey Galloway driving to the basket. Those are the Hoosiers' biggest strengths, and the recent improvement from beyond the arc doesn't mean Indiana should start attempting 30 3-pointers a game like some of the most prolific shooting teams in the nation.

But if Indiana can hover around 15 to 20 attempts per game like it has over the last month, recent games have proven maintaining a solid percentage is possible. The return of Johnson, a 39.8% 3-point shooter with the Hoosiers, should help, too.

The Hoosiers have a big challenge Tuesday at Rutgers, which boasts one of the best defenses in college basketball. The Scarlet Knights rank 13th in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency, according to KenPom.

Opponents have had a particularly difficult time scoring inside against a Rutgers defense that has held teams to 42.9% 2-point shooting, good for 9th in the country. The Scarlet Knights are 10th in blocks per game, anchored by All-Big Ten center Clifford Omoruyi at 3.4 per game. 

Reneau and Ware can't shy away from Omoruyi's physicality, but Rutgers' strong interior defense means a path to winning could be Indiana's improved 3-point shooting.

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