Are Kentucky's 3-Point Shooting Numbers a Hoax?

Kentucky statistically the top 3-point shooting team in the Power 5. Is that a true representation of the Wildcats' ability from behind the arc?

Entering Thursday, Jan. 5, Kentucky basketball is statistically the 13th-best 3-point shooting team in Division I — which consists of 363 teams.

The Wildcats have made 112 of 287 attempts from behind the arc, good for a 39.02 percent clip. Not only is that the best percentage of any team in the SEC, it also ranks atop the Power 5. 

Six players have attempted 20 or more treys through the first 14 games of the season, five of whom have seen somewhat positive results: 

1. Cason Wallace - 45.6 % (31-68)
2. Sahvir Wheeler - 41.7 % (15-36)
3. Antonio Reeves - 40.3 % (31-77)
4. Chris Livingston - 39.1 % (9-23)
5. CJ Fredrick - 38.8 % (19-49)
6. Jacob Toppin - 17.4 % (4-23)

Comparing these numbers to the final percentages of the 2021-22 Wildcats, things are on pace to be much better this season for John Calipari's group: 

(Minimum 20 attempts)

1. Kellan Grady - 41.7 % (88-211)
2. TyTy Washington - 35 % (36-103)
3. Davion Mintz - 34.1 % (44-129)
4. Sahvir Wheeler - 30.8 % (16-52)
5. Keion Brooks - 23.3 % (7-30)
6. Dontaie Allen - 18.9 % (7-37)

Many expectations were placed on the true freshman Wallace, as he was projected by many to be the next great Calipari point guard. Excellent 3-point shooting was not on that list, so the 45.6 percentage is an unbelievable bonus for the Wildcats. He is currently third all-time in career 3-point percentage at Kentucky, minimum 50 attempts. This includes his outing against Mizzou, where he missed a whopping eight shots from deep. 

Wheeler's uptick has been another welcomed surprise in the backcourt. His current pace would be a career high. He's often criticized for his shooting ability, but the numbers suggest otherwise. 

Both shooting guards — Reeves and Fredrick — have also been classified as underachieving as of late, though again, the numbers aren't that bad. Fredrick of course missed last season and hasn't yet reached his form that he found at Iowa, where he led the nation in 3-point percentage, shooting over 46 percent in back-to-back years. Reeves is still trying to find consistency on the court, but his 40-percent mark would also be a career-high. 

Freshman Chris Livingston wasn't thought to be as valuable from the perimeter, so his solid percentage is also a massive bonus. His three-ball comes off the hand with confidence, but he doesn't fall in love with the jumper, making it a sneaky part of his ever-growing game. 

You then have Toppin, who has struggled mightily at times this season, yet he hit arguably the biggest 3-pointer of the season for Kentucky, canning a late one to ice the game in the 74-71 win over LSU.

Amongst Kentucky's struggles this season, unreliable shooting has been pegged as one of the larger issues. LSU coach Matt McMahon didn't see that on Tuesday night, as UK shot 51.9 percent from the floor, making seven 3-pointers along the way. 

“People keep telling me that they’re struggling, but they’re top 20 in the country in a lot of offensive stats," he said postgame. "They shoot 39 percent from three and have a guy that absolutely dominates in the paint so I really hadn’t seen those struggles."

Statistics back McMahon up, but do those blanket stats tell the entire story?

UK has landed at least nine 3-pointers in a game on six occasions, a stat that refutes a lack of consistency. The issue that still faces the Wildcats, however, is the caliber of teams that those performances have come against: 

• Howard (11-24)
• Duquesne (11-19)
• South Carolina State (10-24)
• North Florida (9-24)
• Michigan (9-15)
• Florida A&M (13-23)

In the Cats' seven games against P5 competition, that mark has been hit just once, in the win over Michigan. The 3-point shooting becomes much more unreliable for Kentucky when a solid defense is on the other side of the ball. 

In Kentucky's four losses — Michigan State, Gonzaga, UCLA, Missouri — the percentages of the team's top shooters massively decrease, except for Wheeler:

1. Wheeler - 42 % (6-14)
2. Wallace - 32 % (10-28)
3. Livingston - 28 % (2-7) 
4. Reeves - 23 % (5-21)
5. Fredrick - 15 % (2-13)

Reeves' numbers are a perfect example. He has made three or more treys in six games. Five of those games were against mid-major opponents, with the outlier being a 3-4 performance against Michigan. At Gonzaga, he shot 2-7 from deep. In New York City against UCLA, he went an abysmal 2-8. As his minutes have dwindled in UK's last three games, he's missed all six attempts taken in those outings. 

Fredrick of course falls into the same category. Splashing home bomb after bomb against the weaker opposition, but losing that touch when the fellow blue-bloods come around. 

So is Kentucky a good 3-point shooting team? That answer appears to be yes, but the truth will come out soon. Two of UK's next three opponents — Alabama and Tennessee — rank 11th and 1st in 3-point defense, with the Volunteers allowing the trey to fall just over 21 percent of the time. 

As Calipari has exhaustingly reminded everyone over the years..."you don't have to make them all, you just can't miss them all." 

More on the Wildcats' win over LSU here.

More on Kentucky's new slim rotation here.

Game notes from the victory here.

Watch: Tshiebwe, Wheeler and Toppin speak to the media here.

Want the latest on national football and basketball recruiting, including Cats targets? Head over to SI All-American for the latest news, blogs, and updates about the nation's best prospects.

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