Buckeyes have quietly become three-point specialists

When Kaleb Wesson declared for the 2019 NBA Draft, it was simply to gauge his skillset and what he needed to improve on to be a player at the highest level. given the new rules that allowed him to go through the draft process, including participating in the NBA Draft Combine and working out for NBA teams, he decided to return to the Ohio State Buckeyes for his junior season. Two things that he learned that he needed to change to be an NBA player in the future: Lose a bit more weight (something that he has done ever since graduating high school), get in better shape, and develop a three-point shot. Little did he and the Buckeyes know, the entire Ohio State team would improve on their three-point shooting, especially Wesson.

The Buckeyes have really been a team that mainly relies on their three-point shooting offensively. Over the years, they have had both an inside and outside game, leaning on points in the paint just as much as they have points from beyond the arc. While former Buckeyes such as Jon Diebler have certainly lived at the three-point line over the years, the team as a whole being efficient from long distance has been few and far between.

With the NCAA extending the three-point arc from 20 feet, nine inches to 22 feet, one-and-three-fourth inches this prior to the 2019-20 season, it was expected to result in both a decrease in accuracy and fewer shots from beyond the arc. It has done the exact opposite for Ohio State so far this season.

Through 30 games, the Buckeyes are shooting 37.8% from three-point range so far this season, the 16th-best mark in the country. Their 669 attempts and 253 made three-pointers are both the 20th-most in Division I. Comparatively, they shot just 34.1% from beyond the arc during the 2018-19 season when the three-point line was shorter. It has been a complete team effort, with the Wesson brothers, Andre and Kaleb, surprisingly leading the way. Ohio State’s top shooters from long distance:

• Andre Wesson: 44.3%
• Kaleb Wesson: 43%
• Justin Ahrens: 41.1%
• Duane Washington Jr.: 40%

Whether it’s Andre using his versatility to find open shots, Kaleb stepping out after a screen or just finding an open shot from beyond the arc, Ahrens using his three-point prowess to hit threes, or Washington just being a dominant scorer for the Buckeyes, the four have been silent assassins from long distance all season. Add in that freshman point guard D.J. Carton, who is currently away from the team while he deals with mental illness, is also shooting 40% from beyond the arc and well, it’s been a dominant season for the Buckeyes from three-point range.

In their 20 wins, Ohio State is shooting 40.5% (189-of-467) from three-point range; in their nine losses, they are knocking down just 31.7% (64-of-202). Comparatively speaking, they are shooting 41.7% from beyond the arc at home and just 33.1% away from home. It’s clear that they rely on their shooting from long distance. It has worked out on their forever throughout much of the season to date, as they are 17-1 when they shoot at least 36% from three-point range.

“I don’t know if we can beat really good people without making a number of threes because that’s the strength of several guys on our team,” head coach Chris Holtmann said after his Buckeyes beat then-No. 7 Maryland, 79-72, on February 23 to start their current three-game winning streak.

Like his coach, point guard CJ Walker and shooting guard Duane Washington Jr. echo those same things, reiterating how important three-point shooting and effectiveness is for the Buckeyes to be successful.

“It’s one of the important things for our team,” Walker said. “I feel like when we’re making threes it just opens up our offense and creates other opportunities, getting into the paint, getting into the post and just being able to create in different ways. I feel like if we’re hitting threes it means a lot to our offense.”

“We like to play inside-out,” Washington said. “Creating opportunities for kick-out threes is something that we work on every day in practice.”

With just two games remaining in the regular season, the Buckeyes are shooting 36.9% (154-of-417) from beyond the arc in Big Ten play, which currently leads the conference. If that holds true, it would be the first time Ohio State would finish as the Big Ten’s top three-point shooting team since 2010-11, when they knocked down 45.2% of their shots from long distance during conference play.

Much like they have all season, that is in large part to the Wesson brothers and Ahrens, who are three of the Big Ten’s top six three-point shooters in the conference season. In fact, they have put on quite a clinic, as Andre (45.3%, second-best mark in Big Ten play), Ahrens (44.1%, No. 3), and Kaleb (43.3%, No. 6) have been dominant from long distance against Big Ten opponents.

They must continue that type of efficiency from beyond the arc if the Buckeyes want to continue the success they have had as a team throughout much of the season.

As the saying goes, there are teams throughout basketball that live and die off the three. If they are hitting their shots, they can beat anyone; if they can’t find the bottom of the net, they can lose to anyone. Ohio State has certainly lived so far this season, but luckily for them, even if they are struggling from the three-point line at times throughout a game, they can lean on their versatility offensively and effectiveness defensively to still carry them. That’s part of the reason this team has such high hopes for both the upcoming Big Ten Tournament and March Madness, and deservedly so. They are playing well at just the right time, and right now, they are finding their respective shots at just the right time as well.