Now that we have a fairly decent understanding of the style of play this Mark Pope squad will have, and the players executing that style, I thought it would absolutely be time to peek into the Kentucky Basketball record book and see which records might be sweating this season. I found five in particular that I think will be worth watching and, no surprise, several of them involve the three-point line:
1. SEASON SINGLE THREE-POINTERS INDIVIDUAL
JODIE MEEKS, 117, 2008-09
This is just a simple math equation here. Jodie Meeks hit 117 threes in 36 games that year, or an average of 3.25 per game. Koby Brea currently has 12 threes made in 3 games, or an average of 4 per game. The reality is this record is largely gonna depend on the number of games played. Kentucky could play as many as 40 games should they make the national championship and SEC Tournament final. If UK could get past the 36 games that Meeks played that season, I think this record is attainable for Brea. It should be noted Brea is shooting at an unsustainable 75% from behind the arc too. So he either will have to continue to shoot at that clip OR shoot more threes per game than he currently does. Meeks took 8 attempts per game in 2009; Brea is shooting a little over 5 right now.
2. TEAM THREE-POINT ATTEMPTS IN A SEASON
1991-92, 888 ATTEMPTS
Again, just a math equation here. The Unforgettables took 888 threes in 36 games played, a total of 24.6 per game. Through three games, this team has taken 28.3 per game. So they are already on pace to crush this record. But it also requires playing enough games too. Blow a game at the SEC Quarterfinals or don’t make the second weekend, and it becomes out of reach.
3. INDIVIDUAL THREE-POINT PERCENTAGE IN A SEASON
CAMERON MILLS, 53.16%, 1996-97
Kentucky has three guys currently above the 50% mark in Brea, Oweh, and Carr. To qualify for this record you have to take at least 50 attempts, which Brea and Oweh will comfortably hit. Whether Carr gets 50 attempts will be up in the air. But these guys certainly seem like sharpshooters and the amount of threats Kentucky has on the perimeter tells me they will get open shots most of the year.
