The 2024 Olympics are bringing an alternative form of basketball into the international spotlight as 3×3 basketball makes its return after debuting in Tokyo during the 2020 Olympics. A total of eight nations are competing in the event, which is played in a half-court setting with a 12-second shot clock.
Generally, the premise of the game is the same as traditional basketball: put the ball in the basket while trying to stop your opponent from doing the same. However, 3×3 places an even greater premium on outside shooting as shots from beyond the arc are worth two points as opposed to just one for shots inside the arc.
Perhaps that’s why former BYU star Jimmer Fredette has found such a prominent place in the world of 3×3 basketball. The 35-year old former All-American hit 39.4% of his 3-pointers over four seasons with the Cougars and led the nation in scoring during the 2010-11 season. Though he found limited success in the NBA, Fredette shined while playing overseas and now has a chance to add a gold medal to his resume.
With 3×3 hoops getting some attention, we set out to theorize how it might work in college basketball. For this week’s Dribble Handoff, our writers are picking which 2024-25 college basketball teams would produce the best 3×3 teams.
Jeremy Roach, V.J. Edgecombe and Norchad Omier
I’ll go with Baylor’s Roach, Edgecombe and Omier — mostly because that would give me a fifth-year lead guard (Roach) who shot 42.9% from 3-point range last season at Duke, a likely one-and-done wing (Edgecombe) who has the size and athleticism to take on our toughest defensive assignments, and a fifth-year big (Omier) who has averaged a double-double in four straight years of college basketball. It’s a three-man team that would be talented, athletic and experienced.
We could play pick-and-roll with Roach and Omier. We could isolate Edgecombe and let him overwhelm inferior talents. Bottom line, this…
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