FF likes KP (big surprise)
Nation's best pure shooters
By Fran Fraschilla
Here are six accomplished players who shoot the ball well and will be crucial parts of teams that will likely play in the NCAA tournament this season.
Michael Frazier II, Florida Gators
Frazier returns for his junior season at Florida having already made 170 3-point shots in his career. Last season, he shot 45 percent from deep and made at least four 3-pointers in 13 games, including 11 at South Carolina in a career-high 37-point effort.
As coach Billy Donovan rebuilds a roster that went 36-3 last season en route to the Final Four, Frazier will have even more responsibility in the Gators' offense as the only returning starter. It means he will be defended even more closely than in his first two years, but he will have ample opportunity to improve on his 12.4 points per game.
Nic Moore, Southern Methodist Mustangs
Moore, a 5-foot-9 Illinois State transfer, began his SMU career in 2013-14 by gaining the ultimate respect from American Athletic Conference coaches. He made the all-league team, joining All-Americans Shabazz Napier, Russ Smith and Sean Kilpatrick. Moore averaged 13.6 points a game as a point guard, shot 43.6 percent behind the 3-point line and made 82.5 percent of his free throws for good measure.
This season, Moore will share ballhandling duties for the Mustangs with incoming McDonald's All American Emmanuel Mudiay. It's the perfect scenario for coach Larry Brown because his team will be impossible to press and Moore can concentrate even more of his time shooting the deep ball and scoring. When you see SMU ranked high in the preseason rankings, in part it is because of the smallest guy on the floor most nights -- Moore.
Kevin Pangos, Gonzaga Bulldogs
Pangos is a lethal weapon for coach Mark Few and the Zags because he is not only one of the best point guards in college basketball, but he is also one of the most deadly shooters in the country. The 6-2 senior is a career 41 percent shooter from the 3-point line. What makes Pangos' shooting percentage even more impressive is that he spent a lot of time behind the arc, with 588 of his 1,005 career field goal attempts coming from long range.
He won't be the only Zag shooting the ball from deep this season. Fellow senior guard Gary Bell Jr. is a career 43 percent 3-point shooter, and 6-11 Kentucky transfer Kyle Wiltjer, who shot 39 percent out there in his two seasons in Lexington, will keep opposing defenses honest with his range as well.
Phil Forte III, Oklahoma State Cowboys
There was an impression coming out of high school that the 5-11 Forte was a throw-in with the recruitment of high school teammate Marcus Smart, a McDonald's All American. Wrong. Forte committed to Oklahoma State before Smart did. There was also talk that he played well for the Cowboys only because Smart was always looking for him. In fact, Forte averaged 15 points a contest in the three games Smart was suspended for by the Big 12.
As a sophomore, Forte averaged 13.3 points a game on a team that included a likely NBA lottery pick (Smart), a likely draft selection (Markel Brown) and a future draft choice (Le'Bryan Nash). More impressively, he shot 44.1 percent from behind the line despite the fact he had a bull's-eye on his back. He ended the season making 100 3-pointers. With the loss of Smart and Brown, Forte will have increased offensive responsibilities, but he's already proved he can handle them.
R.J. Hunter, Georgia State Panthers
Coach Ron Hunter's son averaged 18.3 points a game as a sophomore while pairing with offensive-minded point guard Ryan Harrow. This season, they will form one of the best backcourts in the country and Hunter will find his name on the tips of the tongues of NBA scouts.
The 6-5 Hunter shot 39.5 percent behind the arc a season ago and made exactly 100 3-point shots. In just two seasons, he has already scored 1,131 points with almost half of them coming from deep. The Panthers, who lost a heartbreaker to Sun Belt Conference rival Louisiana-Lafayette in the league's title game, could be a mid-major juggernaut this season.
Joseph Young, Oregon Ducks
With all the turmoil and recent player losses for Oregon basketball, Young is going to have to play like "Mighty Joe Young." And he's capable of it. In his first season after transferring from Houston, Young averaged almost 19 points a game, shooting 42 percent from the 3-point line. In addition, he made 88 percent of his free throw attempts.
Young, who is a well-known gym rat, will need to have a prolific scoring season to offset the recent player departures in the Ducks' program. It is a golden opportunity for him to make a national name for himself. After scoring 18 or more points 11 times in the Pac-12 last season, conference coaches are already quite aware of him.
Nation's best pure shooters
By Fran Fraschilla
Here are six accomplished players who shoot the ball well and will be crucial parts of teams that will likely play in the NCAA tournament this season.
Michael Frazier II, Florida Gators
Frazier returns for his junior season at Florida having already made 170 3-point shots in his career. Last season, he shot 45 percent from deep and made at least four 3-pointers in 13 games, including 11 at South Carolina in a career-high 37-point effort.
As coach Billy Donovan rebuilds a roster that went 36-3 last season en route to the Final Four, Frazier will have even more responsibility in the Gators' offense as the only returning starter. It means he will be defended even more closely than in his first two years, but he will have ample opportunity to improve on his 12.4 points per game.
Nic Moore, Southern Methodist Mustangs
Moore, a 5-foot-9 Illinois State transfer, began his SMU career in 2013-14 by gaining the ultimate respect from American Athletic Conference coaches. He made the all-league team, joining All-Americans Shabazz Napier, Russ Smith and Sean Kilpatrick. Moore averaged 13.6 points a game as a point guard, shot 43.6 percent behind the 3-point line and made 82.5 percent of his free throws for good measure.
This season, Moore will share ballhandling duties for the Mustangs with incoming McDonald's All American Emmanuel Mudiay. It's the perfect scenario for coach Larry Brown because his team will be impossible to press and Moore can concentrate even more of his time shooting the deep ball and scoring. When you see SMU ranked high in the preseason rankings, in part it is because of the smallest guy on the floor most nights -- Moore.
Kevin Pangos, Gonzaga Bulldogs
Pangos is a lethal weapon for coach Mark Few and the Zags because he is not only one of the best point guards in college basketball, but he is also one of the most deadly shooters in the country. The 6-2 senior is a career 41 percent shooter from the 3-point line. What makes Pangos' shooting percentage even more impressive is that he spent a lot of time behind the arc, with 588 of his 1,005 career field goal attempts coming from long range.
He won't be the only Zag shooting the ball from deep this season. Fellow senior guard Gary Bell Jr. is a career 43 percent 3-point shooter, and 6-11 Kentucky transfer Kyle Wiltjer, who shot 39 percent out there in his two seasons in Lexington, will keep opposing defenses honest with his range as well.
Phil Forte III, Oklahoma State Cowboys
There was an impression coming out of high school that the 5-11 Forte was a throw-in with the recruitment of high school teammate Marcus Smart, a McDonald's All American. Wrong. Forte committed to Oklahoma State before Smart did. There was also talk that he played well for the Cowboys only because Smart was always looking for him. In fact, Forte averaged 15 points a contest in the three games Smart was suspended for by the Big 12.
As a sophomore, Forte averaged 13.3 points a game on a team that included a likely NBA lottery pick (Smart), a likely draft selection (Markel Brown) and a future draft choice (Le'Bryan Nash). More impressively, he shot 44.1 percent from behind the line despite the fact he had a bull's-eye on his back. He ended the season making 100 3-pointers. With the loss of Smart and Brown, Forte will have increased offensive responsibilities, but he's already proved he can handle them.
R.J. Hunter, Georgia State Panthers
Coach Ron Hunter's son averaged 18.3 points a game as a sophomore while pairing with offensive-minded point guard Ryan Harrow. This season, they will form one of the best backcourts in the country and Hunter will find his name on the tips of the tongues of NBA scouts.
The 6-5 Hunter shot 39.5 percent behind the arc a season ago and made exactly 100 3-point shots. In just two seasons, he has already scored 1,131 points with almost half of them coming from deep. The Panthers, who lost a heartbreaker to Sun Belt Conference rival Louisiana-Lafayette in the league's title game, could be a mid-major juggernaut this season.
Joseph Young, Oregon Ducks
With all the turmoil and recent player losses for Oregon basketball, Young is going to have to play like "Mighty Joe Young." And he's capable of it. In his first season after transferring from Houston, Young averaged almost 19 points a game, shooting 42 percent from the 3-point line. In addition, he made 88 percent of his free throw attempts.
Young, who is a well-known gym rat, will need to have a prolific scoring season to offset the recent player departures in the Ducks' program. It is a golden opportunity for him to make a national name for himself. After scoring 18 or more points 11 times in the Pac-12 last season, conference coaches are already quite aware of him.
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