INDIANAPOLIS — Watching Butler guard Evan Haywood shoot a basketball is teaching tape material for the ideal jump shot.
A great jump shot starts before the ball is in a shooter’s hand, and Haywood is always in position to shoot before receiving a pass. He’s on balance with a strong base and wastes no motion between catching the ball and flicking his wrist to release a shot.
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Haywood showcased his improved form in the clutch, sending Butler to a 113-110 Big East opening win over Providence with a 3-pointer in the second overtime. With improved form and growing confidence, the second-year guard from Carmel has built himself into one of the most efficient shooters in the Big East.
As Butler heads into the resumption of Big East play Monday night at Creighton, Haywood’s 2.2 made 3-pointers per game are tied for fifth in the conference. He’s accomplished that while playing 10 fewer minutes per game than the fourth-place shooter, Providence’s Jason Edwards, and his 43.9% mark from behind the arc is tied for second in the conference trailing only Villanova’s Bryce Lindsay. The 43.9% rate is a marked improvement from Haywood’s 34.6% from 3 as a freshman.
“For Evan it was getting reps, watching film, seeing the types of shots that he’s going to get in the game and getting reps at that,” Butler assistant coach Jon Diebler said. “Evan’s a really, really good shooter. Obviously, I saw him in high school, I know he can score, I know he can shoot. … (It took) work on getting your shot off quick, work on always being ready.
“As a shooter you never have a lot of air space, teams are always going to close out fast, trying to run you off the line. Same thing with guys like Jamie (Kaiser Jr.), always being ready to shoot no matter where you are on the court, and if you’re open, let it ride.”
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Haywood’s transformation from little-used role player to key 3-point shooter began with a tweak in his mechanics. With the help of Diebler — Ohio State’s all-time leading 3-point shooter — Haywood corrected a flaw in his jump shot where his lead leg would trail behind after releasing a shot. Ideally, a right-handed shooter lands with his right leg ahead of his left leg when shooting. When Haywood fails to get his lead leg forward his shots drift to the right, making it harder to be accurate from deep.
“I remember I came here my freshman year and I could not get my right foot around,” Haywood said. “I drilled it and drilled it, late nights, early mornings with Jon, and the work is paying off. I still have a lot more work to do, but I’m just scratching the surface.”
Haywood provides the perfect catch-and-shoot threat as defenses load up to stop Finley Bizjack and Michael Ajayi. Ajayi draws such a heavy presence from opposing defenses that his teammates have to be ready for a kick-out pass. Haywood excels in catch-and-shoot situations, but his improved mechanics allow him to connect off the dribble, and with added strength and explosiveness, he’s also a threat to put the ball on the floor and attack the basket.
Haywood did most of his damage against NJIT from behind the arc, scoring 13 points on 4 for 8 shooting from 3. He’s made at least one 3-pointer in 12 of 13 games and at least two 3-pointers in nine of 13, including his last five games.
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Haywood’s career arc is becoming increasingly rare in today’s transfer portal era. He didn’t play 20-plus minutes in a game until the final two games of his freshman season, after Los Angeles Clippers forward Jahmyl Telfort opted out of playing in the College Basketball Crown tournament. The final game of Haywood’s freshman season was his best, scoring 14 points on 6 for 10 shooting from the field.
Instead of looking for greener pastures and a guarantee of more playing time, Haywood stayed with the coach Thad Matta and his staff, and his loyalty was rewarded with an expanded role in Year 2 with the Dawgs.
“I’m just happy for Evan,” Diebler said. “A guy that stuck with our program. A guy that came here, a local kid, didn’t get a lot of minutes as a freshman and stuck with us. We believe in him and seeing the work he puts in the offseason and the work he puts in every day; it’s rewarding just from the standpoint of he’s a guy that wants to do well. He wants to win, he wants to win here at Butler, and to see that come to fruition for him has been exciting, not just for myself but for our whole staff.”
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: How Butler basketball’s Evan Haywood became one of Big East’s best shooters
