1. Corey Washington’s 3s
In Corey Washington’s freshman year for Saint Peter’s, he took just 13.2% of the shots while he was on the floor. Of those shots, just two of them were jumpers. Washington attempted zero 3-pointers throughout the entirety of his first season, doing much of his damage at the rim as a cutter or offensive rebounder.
Over the offseason, Bashir Mason told me that the Arkansas native was working on adding a 3-point shot to his game. Through the first two games of Washington’s sophomore year, he’s attempted eight triples and 11 jump shots as a whole. In Saturday’s game against NJIT, Washington displayed not just his 3-point shot, but his ball handling. He scored a career-high 23 points, while also grabbing 10 rebounds.
It wasn’t simply the three trifectas that went down for Washington, but he sunk multiple mid-range jumpers, including one off the dribble. A player like Washington, who is already one of the best rebounders and defenders in the conference, becoming a creator of offense is a massive development, as the Peacocks needed somebody to step up. Jaheim Tanksley, who was expected to be the primary offensive creator, is missing the whole season with a broken fibula, so Washington’s scoring leap is just that much more important.
Saint Peter’s forward Corey Washington is evolving. This afternoon, the sophomore scored 23 points and had 10 rebounds, draining 3 three pointers.
Washington hit multiple mid-range jumpers as well. The evolution of his jumpshot makes him a super dangerous player. pic.twitter.com/plEh7r48cl
— Sam Federman (@Sam_Federman) November 12, 2023
2. Marist is getting to the rim
Marist has taken 19% fewer jump shots than last season. The obvious reason is that Patrick Gardner, one of the best jump shooters in the conference, is no longer with the program. While that’s certainly a major reason, it doesn’t explain what Marist’s plan of attack is without him.
The Foxes have largely played through Max Allen when he’s on the court, getting him the ball in post-up situations. Allen has taken shots on 33.6% of the possessions in which he’s on the court, only one of which was a 3-pointer. The San Jose State transfer leads the conference in post-ups per game with 6.5 so far this year.
Instead of Gardner popping to the 3-point line off ball screens, and getting into an above-the-break three or to speed downhill, Marist is prioritizing opening up driving lanes for guards. With Allen setting the…
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