2017 challengers for the 50-40-90 Club in college basketball
Mikal Bridges – Villanova
(56.3 FG% – 40.2 3P% – 91.3 FT%)
Another tentative member of the club is Villanova’s low usage all-star, Mikal Bridges. Here’s a look at his shot chart this year, missing only Villanova’s games with Charleston, UCF, Saint Joseph’s and Marquette (round 1).
Daryl Morey would be proud — just 3s and rim attempts. The part of his game that makes him most efficient? Bridges simply doesn’t take bad shots. The incredible mark around the rim is fueled by transition chances and backdoor cuts made possible by his vision. That, and the fact that he’s the 4th or 5th option on this Villanova team means he certainly benefits from less attention. And while 100 percent of his made 3s have been assisted, per hoop-math, he’s made a big leap this year in getting them to go into the basket. After hitting under 30 percent from 3 as a freshman, Mikal is currently sitting at 40.2 percent with just two regular season games remaining.
What can sink him at this point is related to what makes him so efficient — he doesn’t take many shots (or free throws). He’s at just 199 field goal attempts this year, with 97 of them from 3. And while he’s hit 91.3 percent of his free throws, he’s only taken 46 of them. Missing his next free throw would drop him below 90 percent for the year.
While it’s tenuous, there’s little to suggest Mikal is currently slumping. He’s missed 1 free throw since December 6th, and is 8-for-23 (35 percent) from 3 in his last six games. One or two more excellent games from 3 could be enough to seal it, simply because he rarely takes enough to hurt his mark if he’s in a slump.