There will never be just one way to win in men’s college basketball, but it’s impossible to deny the influence of volume three-point shooting on the sport these days. Last year’s Florida Gators cranked up their three-point rate — 43 percent of their field goal attempts were threes, No. 74 in the country — behind the nuclear shooting of NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player Walter Clayton Jr. Dan Hurley’s dominant UConn team the previous year played at one of the country’s slowest tempos, but their shooting opened the floor for all of their whirling offensive actions.
Coming up with a list of men’s college basketball’s best shooters is a lot harder than when I did a similar exercise for the NBA, but that’s part of what makes it so fun. It’s a guarantee that there will be several glaring omissions when we look back at this list next year.
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For this list, I had a rule that only one player per team could be mentioned. I would have had UConn incoming freshman Braylon Mullins, Louisville guard Isaac McKneely, and Purdue senior Fletcher Loyer if not for that reason. After already previewing the country’s best guards, here’s the best shooters in college hoops entering the season.
Abdi Bashir Jr., F, Kansas State
No player in college hoops combined shooting volume with accuracy like Bashir last season. As a sophomore at Monmouth. Bashir took a whopping 18 threes per 100 possessions (No. 5 in the country) and knocked down them at a 38.3 percent clip. Getting up 10+ threes per game in 33 minutes and making them at that rate is pretty astounding. He’s transferred into Kansas State for his junior season, and it will be fascinating to see how his shooting translates to the Big 12.
Emanuel Sharp, G, Houston
Sharp is a big part of Houston’s foundation as the national championship favorite entering the year. As a junior, the shooting guard knocked down 40.7 percent of his three-pointers on 13.6 attempts per 100 possessions. He’s one of the best ‘3-and-D’ guards in the country, and he’s about to step into an even bigger role next to Milos Uzan with LJ Cryer having graduated.
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Ryan Conwell, G, Louisville
Conwell’s career as taken him from South Florida to Indiana State to Xavier and now to Louisville for his senior season. The 6’4 guard has knocked down a combined 40.9 percent of his 508 three-pointers over the last two seasons. He will be playing alongside arguably college basketball’s most explosive perimeter attack with the Cardinals next to two other outstanding shooters — Isaac McKneely and Mikel Brown — as well shifty scorer Adrian Wooley Jr. The Cards are loaded, and the addition of Conwell is a big reason why.
Solo Ball, G, UConn
Solo Ball knocked down 99 three-pointers at a 41.4 percent clip last year during a frustrating season for UConn. If the Huskies are going to bounce back, it will be because with offense roars back to life with even more shooting on the floor. Potential one-and-done NBA lottery pick Braylon Mullins and Georgia transfer Silas Demary join the perimeter, and Alex Karaban is back for one more ride, too. Ball has a quick trigger and deep range, and he’s going to be even more dangerous with added weapons around him.
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Braden Smith, G, Purdue
Smith is the best guard in college basketball in part because he’s such a great shooter. He knocked down 43.1 percent of his threes playing off Zach Edey back in his sophomore season, and with more defensive attention on him last year, he still made 38.1 percent of his threes on almost double the volume. Fletcher Loyer could have been on this list too, but I give Smith the slight edge for having more shooting versatility.
Lamar Wilkerson, G, Indiana
Wilkeson can claim to be college basketball’s best returning shooter after hitting 44.5 percent of his threes on 7.7 attempts per game last season as a junior at Sam Houston State. Life in the Big Ten is going to be a lot harder this year as he transfers to Indiana, but his shot is so clean that it should level up well. Wilkerson gave back to his former school with a generous donation upon transferring to Indiana in one of the feel-good storylines of the offseason.
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John Mobley Jr., G, Ohio State
Mobley Jr. truly feels like a descendent of Steph Curry. As a freshman at Ohio State last year, Mobley had some incredible self-created makes from three while also showing the ability to hit deep shots off movement. It’s a shame that we still won’t be able to see Mobley in a primary ball handler role this year with elite college guard Bruce Thornton also returning to school, but it’s only a matter of time until his shot-making takes centerstage for the Buckeyes or another team.
Milan Momcilovic, F, Iowa State
Momcilovic is one of the best stretch fours in the country. As a sophomore at Iowa State, he hit 39.6 percent of his threes on about 12 attempts per 100 possessions from deep despite a hand injury limiting him to 27 games. Momcilovic isn’t much of a threat off the dribble, but he’s as close as it gets to automatic on the catch-and-shoot for a guy his size.
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Brendan Hausen, G, Iowa
Hausen has hit 39.1 percent of his threes across his first three college seasons at Villanova and Kansas State. After emerging as a starter for the first time with the Wildcats last season, Hausen is now on the move again to Iowa, where he’ll play off one of the best guards in the country in Bennett Stirtz. Hausen’s off-ball relocation and lightning-quick release on spot-ups will be a huge weapon in head coach Ben McCollum’s system.
Richie Saunders, G, BYU
Saunders was the knockdown shooter that made BYU’s elite offense go last season. The guard shot 43.2 percent from three-point range on 10.4 attempts per 100 possessions from deep. Saunders is going to have an even bigger spotlight this year playing next to freshman stud A.J. Dybantsa. The Cougars should again be a factor late in March with Saunders bending defenses with his shooting.
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Honor Huff, G, West Virginia
Huff made the most threes in men’s college basketball last year by canning 131 triples for Chattanooga last year. The 5’10 guard has transferred to West Virginia for his senior season, and could be one of the best shows in the country if his nuclear shooting sustains a jump up in competition. He made 41.6 percent of his threes on 8.3 attempts per game for the season.
Honorable mentions:
Malik Thomas, F, Virginia
Quimari Peterson, G, Washington
Jackson Shelstad, G, Oregon
Isaac McKneely, G, Louisville
Braylon Mullins, G, UConn
Fletcher Loyer, G, Purdue
Jackson McAndrew, F, Creighton
