Michigan’s 3-point shooting is still a work in progress

Heading into the season, the Michigan women’s basketball team made one of its focuses abundantly clear: 3-pointers. 

“We have to shoot more threes than ever before,” Wolverines coach Kim Barnes Arico said at Big Ten Media Day Oct 2. “Trade threes for twos.”

Last year, Michigan shot 35.5% from deep, a middle-of-the-line percentage when looking at the rest of the Big Ten. So, in an attempt to make that trade successful, Barnes Arico spent a good portion of the offseason encouraging the Wolverines to hunt for the 3-pointers. As its only exhibition approached, it seemed as though Michigan certainly had a plan and the roster makeup to execute successfully. 

But in their exhibition game against Northwood Sunday, the Wolverines’ scheme didn’t exactly come to fruition. Going 4-for-25 when shooting from behind the arc, Michigan fell far below its own expectations — a result it hadn’t anticipated.

“We shot a lot more threes, but we didn’t make them today,” Barnes Arico said Sunday after defeating the Timberwolves. “We’re a really good shooting team. I’m not sure if it was nerves or if it was fatigue, but that’s another area we’re going to be better at.”

Whether it was pre-season jitters or weariness from their fast-paced offensive style, the fact remains clear: the Wolverines didn’t hit their mark. But that doesn’t necessarily mean they never will.

One promising shooter for Michigan is senior guard Greta Kampschroeder. 

“Greta likes to go to her pull-up sometimes (but) I’m like, ‘No, shoot the three.’ ” Barnes Arico said Oct. 2. “… In practice, she’s shooting 75% from three.”

Despite Kampschroeder’s promising practice statistics, her hustle didn’t quite translate onto the court as the Wolverines had hoped. While Kampschroeder tallied four points and six rebounds, she failed to produce offensively outside the paint, going 0-for-6 from range. 

“I think we got good looks on the kick out, but we just didn’t get them to fall,” Barnes Arico said Sunday. “… We gotta get better movements throughout the course of the 30-second shot clock.” 

Even though Kampschroeder didn’t find the success she had hoped for, Michigan did, in fact, get some good looks. And several of Kampschroeder’s teammates managed to convert those into 3-pointers. 

The Wolverines’ first successful behind-the-arc shot came from freshman guard Syla Swords midway through the first quarter. After her own successful attempt, Swords assisted senior guard Jordan Hobbs for her own deep shot. Receiving Swords’ pass from the paint, Hobbs quickly set up, knocking down a shot from the wing. 

The Wolverines’ final two 3-point field goals came from none other than freshman guard Mila Holloway. Using her shiftiness, Holloway made quick work of Northwood’s defense, allowing her to create and follow through on those behind-the-arc opportunities in the first and second quarters. Holloway’s two netted 3-pointers showcase something important for Michigan: potential. 

Indeed, while the Wolverines’ shooting performance in their exhibition matchup fell short of their expectations, that doesn’t mean it won’t reach their high aspirations. There’s a lot of work to be done, but Michigan doesn’t appear ready to shy away from that challenge. 

The post Michigan’s 3-point shooting is still a work in progress appeared first on The Michigan Daily.