Hoosiers 3-Point Shooting May Be Sooners Biggest Problem

March 29, 2002

By MICHAEL MAROT
AP Sports Writer

ATLANTA (AP) - Hollis Price watched Indiana shoot 3-pointers against Kent State. He didn't need to see much else.

"Hopefully, they don't carry it over," the Oklahoma guard said with a smile Friday, one day before the teams meet at the Final Four.

In one of the best shooting performances in NCAA tournament history, the Hoosiers made 15 of 19 from beyond the arc against Kent State in the regional final. Price watched the videotape with something approaching awe.

"Some teams," he said, "don't shoot 15-of-19 from the free-throw line."

The 3-pointer has been one of the Hoosiers' biggest weapons this season and likely will play a significant role Saturday if they're going to win their first Final Four game since 1987.

"It depends on the way they choose to play defense," said point guard Tom Coverdale, still a questionable starter because of a sprained left ankle. "If they let Jared (Jeffries) go one-on-one, as Duke did, he can really hurt you. Kent saw that and decided to go the other way."

Indiana took advantage of the Golden Flashes' decision to double-team Jeffries by putting on a 3-point shooting clinic.

That was nothing new. The Hoosiers have been a good shooting team much of the season, especially from long range. In nine games, they've made at least 10 3-pointers. Three other times, they've made nine. Twice they've broken the single-game school record; at the moment, they're seven shy of matching their single-season record.

Even more impressive might be their accuracy.

Against Alaska-Anchorage, Indiana hit 16-of-24 from 3-point range. Against Illinois, the Hoosiers made 17-of-27. Against Michigan State, they were 14-of-26.

It leaves opponents with a dilemma: Focus on stopping the outside game and let Jeffries go free, or focus on Jeffries and dare the 3-point shooters to make shots.

That's by design.

"Jeffries is a big-time player and we have guys who can shoot the basketball if they space it out, like Duke did against us," coach Mike Davis said. "If they're going to space it out against us, like Duke, then we have to go inside,"

The combination has proven problematic for most opponents, even good defensive teams like Oklahoma.

Indiana is the top shooting team in the NCAA tournament at 55.9 percent. In back-to-back games last week, the Hoosiers demonstrated they could win relying on their inside or outside game.

Jeffries' presence, however, is critical to the success of that gambit.

In the four games preceding the Hoosiers' top 3-point performances this season, Jeffries averaged 19 points and 11.8 rebounds per game. In the three games immediately following the 3-point barrages, Jeffries averaged 17.5 points and 7.8 points per game.

"He has great skill," Oklahoma forward Aaron McGhee. "He can pass, he can dribble, post-up, go inside or outside. I think with a guy like that, you have to limit his touches as much as possible."

The question now is how much Coverdale's injury could affect the Hoosiers' mix.

"What we'd be missing is Tom's ability to put the ball in the hole," guard Dane Fife said. "If Tom gets hot, it's very hard to stop our team."

The Sooners learned that by watching the Kent State game.

"That's amazing to see something like that," Price said. "That's the important stat that we have to recognize. We have to go out there and try to guard that."

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Hoosiers 3-Point Shooting May Be Sooners Biggest Problem

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