OPINION

By Mike DeCourcy

updated 8:27 p.m. ET July 12, 2008

Mike DeCourcy

Would the most important long-distance jumper in Xavier basketball history have counted for 3 points if the NCAA's new 20-foot, 9-inch arc had been in place for last season's NCAA Tournament? B.J. Raymond has no idea.

"It doesn't matter," he says. "I would have scooted back some, anyway."

Raymond's right-corner 3-pointer off an inbounds pass from guard Stanley Burrell beat a lapsing shot clock and effectively ended any hope West Virginia maintained of keeping the Musketeers from their second Elite Eight appearance in four years. But Raymond doesn't think much about that shot now. It takes him a while to recall all the facts. He is more focused on making sure he is ready when the longer distance goes into effect this fall.

Although Xavier is planning to resurface its court at the Cintas Center, the coaches made sure the new line was painted on to the floor soon after last season so the Musketeers could start growing accustomed to it. The change doesn't seem that profound. A fellow with a pair of Size 8 loafers can place his heel on the new line and his toes dangle over the old one.

The NCAA basketball rules committee nonetheless is hopeful that moving the 3-point line 12 inches farther from the basket will create more space for halfcourt offenses to operate. The idea is that defenders collapsing to contain penetration or to double-team low-post scorers will have farther to travel to recover and contest long-range shots. So defenders might remain closer to offensive players on the perimeter, creating room to drive. They could be less eager to drop to the lane and choke off drives or double down on the low post because they'll worry they can't make it back in time to challenge 3-point shooters.

"The fear of the 3-point line is every bit as present as it's been," Xavier coach Sean Miller says. "But the more you're stretched out, it's one foot farther that you have to deal with. That will free up the low-post area some. I also think it will free up some more spacing for drives -- I would hope."

Through observation, Raymond and Miller have come to the same conclusion: Players who have already proved themselves as shooters won't be affected much -- but those who are, using Miller's term, "experimental" 3-point shooters will find the new distance daunting.

"How that works as a coach -- I think you'd be less likely to believe in that experimental 3-point shooter," Miller says.

Raymond made 82 3-pointers last season, the most for the Atlantic 10 champions, though he averaged only 23.1 minutes per game. He hit 41.2 percent of his attempts. There will be no trust issues for Raymond and his Xavier coaches regarding the use of his jump shot.

But Miller might have worried if he had watched Raymond during the first week with the new line. "When I first went out there, it was horrible for me," Raymond says. "I was missing a lot of shots off the front rim that I'd usually make. Coming off the move, things like that, you're so used to shooting it the same way and it was just falling short.

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"As a player, on the court, I was broke."

After some tinkering, though, he was fine. Raymond considers himself a "line-conscious" player. Most players stay within the court's boundaries simply by using instinct. They know where they are in relation to the sideline and baseline. But Raymond explains that his quest to stay behind the 3-point line is a visual endeavor. He checks his feet to make sure they're where they need to be.

"You kind of got to know," Raymond says. "You've got to have a look. Because the worst shot in the game is when you're stepping on the 3-point line. You don't ever want to do that."

In addition to attacking the new 3-point line, Raymond is attempting to lose 15 pounds (eating a diet of turkey and cheese sandwiches for breakfast, lunch and dinner) so he can move from reserve small forward to starter at shooting guard. That would make Xavier a huge team - Raymond is 6-7 -- and ensure there is a proven 3-point threat in the lineup. Raymond plans to show off a nice midrange game and improve defensively. But he knows what he is as a player.

"A shooter shoots," Raymond says. He needs to put a little more mustard on the ball now, but successfully navigating those 12 extra inches could make such a player even more valuable.

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