FAYETTEVILLE — Two weeks ago, the only team in the Southeastern Conference struggling more than Arkansas from beyond the 3-point line was Georgia.
And at the end of February, the Razorbacks ranked 249th nationally in 3-point accuracy at 32.9 percent and Mike Anderson was looking at a bunch that not only had a chance to be the second worst perimeter shooting team in his seven-plus seasons at Arkansas, but in his coaching career.
But, entering today's home finale against Alabama, the Razorbacks are in the middle of the pack in the SEC in 3-point shooting following a string of impressive performances over the last week and a half. As a team, Arkansas has found a rhythm from 3-point range since its narrow loss at then-No. 4 Kentucky.
For the first time in Anderson's tenure, the Razorbacks have shot 50-plus percent from distance in three consecutive games - 10-of-20 at Kentucky, 9-of-18 vs. Ole Miss, 11-of-18 at Vanderbilt. Anderson credited the team's ball movement to its improved 3-point shooting numbers of late.
"Shooting sometimes is contagious," Anderson said Friday. "I thought the other night (at Vanderbilt) it got contagious. A couple of guys were making it, Isaiah (Joe) made one early on and then all of a sudden he makes like three in a row.
"So evidently we’re starting to understand our personnel and we’re spacing the floor and continuing to utilize Dan and be uptempo. I think you see us playing in a much better rhythm now. And when you have that rhythm, shooting is rhythm. So we’re making shots now."
Joe, who set the program's single-season record for 3-pointers made at Vanderbilt on Wednesday, Mason Jones and Desi Sills have led the recent charge beyond the arc. Jones has made 11 of his last 18 attempts, Joe 11-of-19 and Sills 7-of-10. Combined, the group has shot 62 percent from deep over the last three games.
In its success from 3-point range, Arkansas has found a particular part of the floor to its liking - the left wing. The Razorbacks made 8-of-14 3s on the left side of the floor at Kentucky, 8-of-10 against Ole Miss in Bud Walton Arena and 6-of-12 at Vanderbilt - 61.1 percent.
Joe, Jones and Sills, collectively, have hit 22-of-31 3s attempted from the left side of the floor since Kentucky. Jones hit 10-of-16, Joe 6-of-7 and Sills 6-of-8.
From the center of the floor and right wing in that same span, Arkansas is still shooting a respectable 40 percent (8-of-20) as a team. Gafford said any time the Razorbacks consistently knock down the 3 it takes pressure off of him on the interior.
"It helps us a lot," he said. "Just to go down certain stretches where we can have runs where guys are knocking down 3s consecutively, it’s a thing of beauty. ... Then when they’re not in the position to hit one of those shots, it comes in to me and I have (space) to go to work also."
Sills' re-emergence as a perimeter threat is intriguing considering he made just 1-of-10 3-point attempts in the 13 games following his 3-of-6 night at Texas A&M to open SEC play. Coming into today's game, Sills has hit a 3 in four consecutive games. Prior to the second meeting with the Aggies, his longest such streak was just two games - UTSA, Georgia Tech.
"His mindset is in the right spot to where it can take him a long way with the game of basketball," Gafford added. "He has a hard-working mindset and he just doesn’t stop, doesn’t quit."
Almost every day, Gafford said, even on off days, Sills is in the gym working on his jumper. In his four starts this season, Sills is averaging 9.5 points and shooting 8-of-12 from distance, taking advantage of a recent uptick in playing time.
"He’s done well," Anderson said of Sills. "He’s really improved throughout the year, and now you see him in the starting lineup and he’s playing really well."