The intent was to create more space for half-court offenses to flourish, but the decision by the NCAA men’s basketball rules committee to stretch the 3-point line might have an unintended effect. Starting this season, the 3-point line distance will be extended a foot from 19 feet, 9 inches to 20 feet, 9 inches. The 19-feet, 9-inch distance has been the standard since the 3-point shot was introduced to the college game in the 1986-87 season. Alabama head coach Mark Gottfried surmised the change will do the inverse of what the rules committee envisioned. “ I think the rule is intended to stretch the defenses out and open up the middle of the floor, ” Gottfried said Wednesday morning during the SEC Men’s Basketball Summer Teleconference. “ I think that the opposite may end up happening. If you’re playing against a team that can’t make the new 3-point shot with a very high percentage, you’re going to see defenses start to step back and clog up the middle. ” Gottfried said the 19-feet, 9-inch line was a more effective distance for fostering less obstructed halfcourt play. “ I think where the line was before there were so many players on the floor that could potentially make that shot, that you did have to stretch your defense out, ” he said. “ My personal opinion is that teams are going to start packing the defenses in. ” The 3-point shot has proliferated since its inception in the 1980 s. Division I teams averaged 9. 2 attempts when the 3-point line was introduced in 1986-87. That number doubled to 18. 4 in 2006, according to an NCAA Web site detailing statistics. The number of made 3-point baskets increased from 3. 5 to 6. 4 over that time, but the percentage dropped from 38. 4 to 35 percent. Since 1989, Arkansas has made at least one 3-point field goal in 646 consecutive games. Gottfried said his team has been practicing from the new distance since the end of last season. He expects fewer players to be as proficient from the farther distance. “ I’m going to be interested to see how many players can make that shot with a high percentage as opposed to a foot in, ” he said. “ I think it makes a difference. ”

South Carolina coach Darrin Horn is of a different mindset. He said the new line will probably have a negligible effect.

“ In general, I don’t think it will be an earth-shattering thing, because I don’t think the distance is far enough for that to happen, ” Horn said.

Kentucky head coach Billy Gillispie mirrored Horn’s sentiments. He contended that the new line won’t affect players who consistently made shots from the previous distance.

“ The players today, most of them, when you talk about guards and wings, for the most part, if he’s a good 3-pointer shooter behind the line we had, I think he’ll probably be a pretty decent shooter behind the new line, ” Gillispie said.

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Gillispie did allow that the new line might dissuade some front-court players from hoisting three-balls.

“ I think it really may affect fours and fives, ” Gillispie said. “ They may be a little bit more reluctant to take it when they see the line first come into play. ”