The 3-pointer – Big shot is an indelible part of basketball today
It has become a staple of modern basketball, a shot that has changed the game so much it’s worth three points.
The three-point arch is at 19-feet-9 inches for high school play. The Minnesota State High School League approved implementation of the three-point shot in 1988. High-schoolers today have never played varsity hoops without it.
“I like it. I think it has changed the game,” said GSL boys’ coach Rob DeCorsey.
The shot’s length varied the first few years.
The three-point shot is both a blessing and a curse. It’s a team’s best friend when it is going in and a team is using it to keep the opponent in the rear-view mirror, or when players are fighting their way back into a contest. It’s a source of frustration when the shots aren’t going in and players are second-guessed for not shooting at shorter range.
When a team is hitting its three-pointers, it forces the opponent to extend the defense and guard the shooters, opening passing lanes for closer, higher-percentage two-point shots, DeCorsey said.
(For the complete story, see the Nov. 13 print edition of The Chronicle.)
