Will new 3-point Line Hurt the Patriots?

Last week the NCAA men's basketball panel approved moving the three point line back a foot for the 2008-2009 season. This move comes from the panel in an attempt to prevent excess crowding around the basket but it won't do much to help that problem. Many coaches feel its a long time coming since the line was implemented in the late 80s because players seem to hit more every year with a little too much ease. But will this change hurt mid-major teams such as the Patriots, who live and die by the three point at times and rely on it to cause upsets in the tournament. A lot of mid-major teams compensate for the fact that they are undersized when going up against big name programs by raining three-pointers. You see it every year in the tournament; its how Davidson almost upset Maryland this past March. And thats because mid-major teams will sometimes have the better pure shooters on their team because thats all they can do. Big schools will always take the flashy wingman who create and drive the lane over a slow kid who makes a living behind the arc but can't ball handle or play defense. Coach L has always brought in three-point shooting talent and this years class is no different. Most coaches will probably tell you that the change does not really effect a players shooting percentage because almost all Division I kids can hit threes from 20 feet 9 inches just as they could from 19 feet 9 inches. And thats all well and good but don't forget about the changes on defense that this could present.

A defense guru like Larranaga should have no trouble making necessary adjustments to his schemes due to the extra space inside the arch but there could be some growing pains. One can remember how difficult it seemed at times last season for the Patriots to defend the three-point shot. This new change doesn't exactly make things easier for them; as the increase in area will make it more difficult to close out on shooters, creating more wide-open looks. We can only hope this change will not farther the gap between majors and mid-majors, but that seems to be the likely outcome in the long run.