UH makes no secret of its preference for 3-pointers
When constructing his roster, University of Houston coach Kelvin Sampson has a checklist.
Defense is a must. So is rebounding. Then there’s 3-point shooting. “That’s part of our recruiting philosophy. I like athletes. But I like athletes that can shoot,” said Sampson, whose 25th-ranked Cougars play SMU on Wednesday night at Moody Coliseum in Dallas. “We’ve got to be able to make open shots. That’s a big part of our system. You used to run for 2s, run for layups; now you recruit kids that can make 3s because it’s a lot easier to get a 3 in transition than it is a layup.”
Sampson assembled a cast that has taken aim on the record books, not once but twice in the past 45 days. UH set the American Athletic Conference singlegame record with 18 3-pointers on Jan. 11 against Tulsa and matched again Sunday in a 10958 rout of East Carolina.
Rob Gray called it “just another day at the office.”
A squad of shooters
UH is third in the AAC with 249 3-pointers this season, trailing Wichita State (265) and SMU (259). The total includes 12 games with double-digit 3s.
Four UH players have at least 30 3s this season — Corey Davis Jr. (83), Armoni Brooks (76), Gray (42) and Wes Van Beck (34).
A fifth player, Gabe Grant, came off the bench and hit four 3s in the final 11 minutes Sunday.
UH is the only team in the nation with two players among the top-20 nationally in 3-point field-goal percentage: Brooks is 15th (45.0) and Davis 18th (44.6).
“It’s endless what we can do,” Davis said.
Sampson calls Davis a “coldblooded killer” with no fear, and it’s easy to see why. A first-team JUCO All-American at San Jacinto College, Davis has made at least one 3-pointer in 24 straight games, the sixth-longest streak in school history. His 83 3s also are the sixth-most in school history since it became a statistic in 1986-87. Damyean Dotson, a second-round pick of the New York Knicks, set the school record with 108 last season.
“Honestly, before here, I really couldn’t shoot the ball like I can now,” Davis said. “I’ve been working a lot. My 3-point shot has definitely improved since I’ve come to the University of Houston. It’s a product of work and my confidence.”
Recruited for his shooting, Brooks has become a vital role player off the bench. He hit six 3s as UH led East Carolina 62-13 at halftime and finished with a career high-tying seven.
“Armoni is what I call an unconscious shooter,” Davis said. “He knows that he’s just as important as everybody else. Once he comes in, he’s ready to go.”
A big part of what the Cougars do offensively involves pushing the tempo and looking for shots, particularly 3s, in transition. It begins with point guard Galen Robinson Jr., whom Sampson says has to decide early whether he has a path to the basket for a layup or is going to kick out to the 3-point arc.
“We want him to put pressure on the paint if we don’t have an early look,” Sampson said. “And then from there, we’ll play. We try and score in the first 10 seconds of the shot clock with a shot we work on. Our guys know what good shots are in transition.”
One-third of points from 3s
With so many players able to hit long-range shots in the up-tempo style that is producing an average 78.2 points per game — one-third of that total coming via 3s — Gray said the Cougars constantly put pressure on opposing teams. Guard the 3-point line, and UH finds other ways to score.
It’s that formula that could make the Cougars dangerous in the NCAA Tournament.
“It opens up the floor a lot for me just having guys that are very capable of making shots, multiple 3s especially,” Gray said. “We have guys whose strengths are 3s and not necessarily shooting layups or shooting midrange.
“We are aware of our team’s strengths and try and keep everyone in their role and strengths. It puts immense pressure on other teams when we are making them. Even if we are missing, they still have to respect and guard, and that’s what leads to other plays that we run as well.”