NCAA Moving Back the 3-Point Line is Good for College Basketball
By Sean Facey
The NCAA made the bold choice Wednesday to move the men's college basketball three-point line back to the distance international used at international levels of professional play.
In the end, the major change will be beneficial for not only college basketball, but the sport as a whole.
NCAA will move 3-point line back to international distance - 22 feet, 1¾ inches - in men’s hoops starting next season
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) June 5, 2019
Division I teams will incorporate the change for 2019-20 while Division II and III schools will make the shift in the 2020-21 season.
The move better prepares players in college for the shooting challenges that would normally await them in the NBA. The learning curve to adjust to the NBA three-point distance will be much less steep now.
It also increases spacing. Moving the line from 20-feet, 9-inches to 22-feet, 1 3/4-inches opens up a wider swath of the court for teams to use. It'll be easier to move around inside the arc and could help prevent the lengthy shooting droughts that so often plague the college game.
The NCAA is pushing the men’s three-point line back from 20'9" to 22'1¾” beginning in 2019-20.
— Bleacher Report CBB (@br_CBB) June 5, 2019
22'1¾” is the set distance for international basketball. pic.twitter.com/S5nVENsN8h
It's the best move for the sport at the college level in the long-run.
Players will be better prepared for the NBA and the game will inevitably start to look at least a bit more like the type played by the professionals.