Three-Point Play

Each week the "Three-Point Play" will touch on three topics from the college basketball world. This first version includes the following:

• The improvement of junior forward Isaiah Hicks for UNC
• A look at Washington's 3-0 start in the PAC-12
• USC's improvement from 3-15 last year to 3-1 this year in conference play 

The Isaiah Hicks Improvement

UNC power forward Isaiah Hicks was a McDonald’s All-American and a five-star recruit in the class of 2013, but was the forgotten man coming into this college season after an unremarkable first two years in Chapel Hill. As a freshman Hicks had to watch his lower ranked classmate in Kennedy Meeks (No. 68) outplay and outshine him as Meeks averaged 16.3 minutes compared to just 7.3 minutes for Hicks. Playing mostly on the perimeter, Hicks showed small glimpses of his raw talent, but he scored over five points in just one game. As a sophomore, the minutes doubled for Hicks and he averaged 6.6 points per game, but his performance was still a far cry from the expectations placed on him from the time he committed to Carolina.

Now, Hicks is still not a starter for the talented Tar Heels, but he is one of the most improved and least talked about players in the country. His scoring average has increased to 10.2 points per game in just 18.6 minutes and he currently is ranked No. 4 in the country in KenPom’s offensive efficiency rankings sporting an impressive 140.0 rating. With added strength to go with his fluidity, Hicks has become a more aggressive offensive player and just played a large part in helping UNC pull out a close win over Syracuse last Saturday. He’s converting 82.4% of his shots at the rim per Hoop-Math and has also increased his time at the foul line. Last year, Hicks’ took 2.3 free throws per game which has jumped up to almost four per game this year. A 58% free throw shooter as a freshman, Hicks is now hitting a remarkable 80.6% as a junior. Over the years, UNC has lost numerous games due to its porous free throw shooting, but this year Hicks is a primary reason that UNC is No. 21 in free throw percentage. While Hicks is still not mentioned on any mock draft sites, if he continues his upward trajectory in terms of improvement it will be only a matter of time until the five-star recruit begins to receive NBA attention.

Is Washington Back?

Conference play is only two weeks old for the PAC-12, but so far only one team remains unscathed. After a road overtime victory on Saturday, the Washington Huskies stand 3-0 in the conference and 11-4 overall. After being the class of the PAC-12 for many years, the Huskies have not made the NCAA Tournament since 2011, despite winning the conference regular season in 2012. Now, Lorenzo Romar and crew have gotten back to their up-tempo ways. After regularly playing an up and down style that had them In KenPom’s Top 30 tempo rankings year after year, the Huskies finished No. 183, No. 71, and No. 133 in 2013, 2014, and 2015, respectively. Now, Washington is ranked No. 5 and averaging 78.1 possessions per game (which has been helped by two recent overtime games). Along with the increased tempo, Washington currently has the early leader in the PAC-12 player of the year and freshman of the year. Andrew Andrews is averaging 29.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 4.7 assists while also shooting 48% from three. Also, freshman Dejounte Murray is averaging 21.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4.7 assists. The road certainly gets tougher for the Huskies with a trip to Arizona coming up this week, but for now Washington is relying on its guard play while getting back to its winning ways.

USC’s Turn Around

Staying in the PAC-12, most pre-season predictions had the USC Trojans finishing anywhere from 8^th to 10^th in the conference standings. After going just 3-15 last year, it was expected that Andy Enfield’s team would be improved, but not nearly enough to challenge the top echelon of teams. Now, three months into the season, USC is rated No. 25 by KenPom and sports a 3-1 conference record which could easily be 4-0 given the 22 point lead they relinquished to Washington (granted, they could also be 1-3 after giving up substantial leads to Washington, ASU, and Arizona). After their four overtime victory at home against Arizona, the LA market is starting to notice USC for its basketball team. Both the offense and defense have made remarkable leaps this year. The offense jumped from No. 244 in adjusted offensive efficiency to No. 36 and the defense has improved from No. 83 to No. 37. As a team, USC is currently shooting 41% from the three-point line including a 10-23 performance against Arizona. Freshman power forward Bennie Boatwright spaces the floor for the Trojans and has been one of the top freshmen in the conference. Julian Jacobs and Jordan McGlaughlin put the pressure on opposing defense’s and Elijah Stewart provides a strong scoring spark off the bench now that Enfield made the decision to start Katin Reinhardt. On defense, the Trojans have employed a soft pac line defense at times and have made a conscious effort to stop the opposing guards off pick and roll plays. With a young and talented team, the Trojans are looking to establish themselves in the PAC-12. Through two weeks they are off to a start that wasn’t anticipated, but now they enter a three game road stretch playing at UCLA before travelling to Oregon. A 2-1 mark for USC would be a dream come true, but even a 1-2 finish would be respectable. It’s not easy to change a culture and establish an identity, but in year three, Andy Enfield is in the midst of doing just that.