Caleb Love, Arizona hoping to break out of shooting slump vs. BYU
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After a rough shooting stretch the Arizona Wildcats (18-8, 12-3) are hoping to rediscover their touch on Saturday in a pivotal Big 12 men's basketball game vs. BYU (18-8, 9-6) at McKale Memorial Center.
The Wildcats are 1-2 over their last three games and their dismal 3-point shooting has been a big factor. Arizona is 11-of-63 (17.4%) from downtown over that stretch, which included a four-point loss to Houston and a three-point loss to Kansas State. If they managed to shoot just 20% they probably would have won both games.
"You've got to shoot good shots. I mean that's it. We've got to shoot good shots. And you've got to live with the make or miss," Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said after his team's loss to Houston last Saturday. "It's no secret. I'm not telling you anything crazy. We're not the best three-point shooting team you've ever seen. This is not the 2017 Golden State Warriors."
Arizona ranks near bottom in 3-point shooting
Arizona is shooting 31% from the 3-point line entering Saturday, which is 323rd out of 364 Division I college basketball teams. Caleb Love is at the core of the Wildcats woeful shooting. Arizona's fifth-year shooting guard is shooting 29.6% on nearly 8 attempts per game.
Love has hit four or more 3-pointers seven times this season, but he has been in a funk over the past four games. He was a combined 1-of-15 from downtown in the losses to Kansas State and Houston, and most were really good looks.
Anthony Dell'Orso (41.1%) and Carter Bryant (35.7%) are Arizona's best 3-point shooters, but combined they're only averaging 6.2 attempts per game. As Lloyd said after Monday's win over Baylor, Dell'Orso needs to shoot more.
"Listen, this kid can really shoot the ball. I think he's just got to put on his shooting hat more, and a little less of his dribbling hat, and hunt catch-and-shoot shots," Lloyd said about Dell'Orso. "The beautiful thing about him, he is good enough on offense, if it's a hard close out, he can put the ball on the ground. But I want him to be a shoot first and ask questions later guy. ... If he's out there stroking threes that other coach is not feeling good. ... In order for us to get to our ceiling we've got to capitalize on everybody on our team, maximizing their opportunities and their roles."
That's a pretty clear message to Dell'Orso, who is averaging 8.0 points in 18.8 minutes per game. At 6-foot-6, he can get his shot off against almost any defender, and if he starts knocking down 3-pointers it opens up the interior even more for Tobe Awaka and Henri Veesaar.
Despite their shooting woes, the Wildcats are still winning games, which tells you how balanced they are. If they start knocking down 3-pointers, watch out.
More Arizona & Big 12 Analysis
-029877d49238355bd3388a94f90e3c72.jpg "Ben Sherman")
Ben Sherman has been covering the sports world for most of his 27-year journalism career, including 17 years with The Oregonian/OregonLive. A basketball junkie, March Madness is his favorite time of the year.