Curmudgeon wrote:I want Merrill, the kid from Utah State, with #30. He's got only one skill, plus decent defense. But it's a skill this team sorely needs. Sniper from long range and a 90% free throw shooter.
Can he defend the wing?
If you are primarily concerned with shooting, you take Markus Howard IMO. A few years from now he is most likely the best shooter in the NBA.
Trivia questions:
Name collegiate players, since '92, who took more than four threes per game and shot better than 54% from 3, while playing in a major conference (min 10 games played).
Markus Howard is the only one, and he did it as a tiny 17 year old freshman.
Since '92, name major conference collegiate freshman to shoot better than 50% from three while taking at least 100 attempts.
There are two answers: Steve Novak and Markus Howard. Howard was younger, was tiny, he took more shots per minute, and he shot 54.7% as opposed to 50.5% for Novak.
Name collegiate players to take more than 10 threes per 40 and exceed 40% for two consecutive seasons.
There are two answers I am aware of: Steph Curry, Markus Howard.
Name players to take more than 10 threes per 40 and exceed 40% for three consecutive seasons.
There is one player I am aware of: Markus Howard.
Name collegiate players under the age of 21 to score more than 25 ppg while hitting more than three 3s per game.
Steph Curry, Trae Young, Markus Howard
Name collegiate players under the age of 21 to score more than 25 ppg while hitting more than three 3s per game in consecutive seasons.
Markus Howard
And since I know some look to FT%, name underclassmen who averaged at least three FTs per game while shooting better than 93% from the FT line while shooting at least 40% from three.
Markus Howard is the only one, although JJ Redick and Blake Ahearn would count if you rounded up their 3pt% to 40.
From an analytical standpoint, Markus Howard is arguably the best three point shooter in the history of college basketball, and by a decent margin. Guys like Steve Novak and Kyle Korver were arguably more impressive, but Howard is in a Steph Curry mold. And if we are solely talking three point shot, he is statistically a better Steph Curry. And if you go back to his freshman year when he was likely used more often as a spot up shooter, he put guys like Novak and Korver to shame...
For that reason alone, I feel he should be spoken of as a potential lottery pick.