The 3-point shot. A blessing or a curse?
Any high school basketball team making a good percentage of the long-distance shots — one out of three or better would satisfy most boys coaches — is capable of building a big lead or erasing a big deficit in quick order.
Miss too many, however, and your team likely has a steep hill to climb.
For area coaches, the answer to the above question likely changes from game to game, if not quarter to quarter or possession to possession.
Oswego East coach Ryan Velasquez, whose team has a program-best 29-1 record and is the top seed heading into next week’s Class 4A Oswego Sectional, takes a judicious approach.
His Wolves attack the basket with an unmatched ferocity but will also utilize the 3-pointer, albeit in moderation.
“Pass the ball until you get a third grade shot and that’s in the paint,” Velasquez said when asked his philosophy. “And don’t fall in love with the three. We don’t even mention that.”
It shows.
Through 28 games, Oswego East had taken 1,424 shots, with 29% (411) coming from beyond the arc and 71% (1,013) from inside that line.
“These guys have been together a long time and they’re smart basketball players,” Velasquez said. “They just know we’re going to get the ball close to the basket if we can do that.
“Maybe then, we can bump it back out.”
Senior guard DeVon Oregon led the Wolves with 100 3-point attempts.
In contrast, Yorkville Christian senior guards Jaden Schutt and KJ Vasser this week became the school’s first duo to each surpass 100 3-pointers made in a season.
The Mustangs, a top seed at the 1A Serena Sectional, have played a brutal schedule against many 3A and 4A opponents. They took 1,702 shots through 27 games, with 800 (47%) coming from 3-point range.
Yorkville Christian coach Aaron Sovern wouldn’t mind a 50-50 breakdown.
“With our style of play, we like layups, open threes, and we like free throws,” Sovern said. “The last five to six years, we’ve shot a lot of threes, and it’s not by accident because these kids work on it.”
Vasser and Schutt, a Duke recruit, have combined to take almost 500 of the Mustangs’ 3-pointers, with Vasser making 45% and Schutt 40%. As a team, Yorkville Christian is shooting 38%.
“If you can shoot 40% from three, it’s like 60% from two,” Sovern said.
Burlington Central coach Brett Porto, whose Rockets (26-3) are seeded first in the 3A Crystal Lake South Sectional, echoed Velasquez’s mantra.
“My philosophy is we want to live in the paint,” Porto said. “A lot of threes get knocked down when the ball comes out from the paint, by pass or off a rebound.
“Everyone on our team has that range to take a three, but it depends on the time, the score, the quarter and who’s hot.”
For Aurora Christian coach Dan Beebe, it depends on his team’s size and talent.
“If you shoot 33%, it’s like shooting 50% on 2-pointers,” Beebe said. “We look at what our style is. If we’re not very tall and have some shooters, we’ll take more.”
The Eagles (17-9), who are seeded second in the 2A Marengo Sectional, have taken 615 or 48% of their 1,292 attempts from beyond the arc.
Ending a drought: That will be the goal for Somonauk (24-5), which heads into the 1A Pecatonica Sectional as a second seed looking to win the program’s first regional title since 1991-92 at Indian Creek.
Earlier this season, the Bobcats won their first Little Ten Conference Tournament title since 2014. They carry a 16-game winning streak into Tuesday’s regular-season finale against Newark in a battle of 9-0 teams in conference play.
“If we can get the regional title, anything else will be gravy,” Somonauk coach Curt Alsvig said.
Local teams meet: Waubonsie Valley and West Aurora, seeded eighth and ninth, respectively, in the 4A East Aurora Sectional, share an Aurora address but haven’t met this season.
The teams play next Tuesday in the Joliet Central Regional.
“From my understanding, they run a lot of Wheaton Warrenville South action,” West Aurora coach Brian Johnson said of the Warriors under first-year coach Andrew Schweitzer. “They’ll press you and trap you everywhere, so we have to take care of the ball and play strong.”
