But he’s been troubled by at least one facet of his play, and he let that irritation seep out in the Central State game Saturday.
The 6-foot-8 junior forward shot a slick 40% from 3 last season, going 32 of 80, but he was just 1 for 13 through four games this year.
He then missed his first one against the Marauders, and when he finally connected on a 3 from the wing a little later, he tossed his hands in the air as if to say, “It’s about time.”
“It was a little sigh of relief,” he admitted afterward. “I’m just frustrated with the way I’m shooting it right now.
“Hopefully, (the slump) doesn’t stick long term — and I don’t think it will — but it’s something I’m working on every single day.”
He added: “I shouldn’t have reacted the way I did. Looking back on it, I should have been happy I made one.”
His teammates, while they may not outwardly show it, have been just as vexed.
The 3-2 Raiders finished ninth in the nation in 3-point shooting last year at 38.3%. So far this year (small sample size), they’re 280th out of 355 teams at 29.4%.
Opponents are hitting 37%.
Against DivisionII CSU, they went 4 of 18 in the first half. After making six straight to start the second half, they finished with four consecutive misses.
Still, the 35.7% night was their best showing this season.
“We have a very good shooting team. I’m going to continue to say it,” first-year coach Clint Sargent said.
“Keaton Norris is a very good shooter. Andrew Welage is a very good shooter. Brandon is a proven 40% 3-point shooter. Alex Huibregtse is a good shooter. Drey Carter is a good shooter. Logan Woods … It’s just a matter of time before all that rhythm connects.”
Stringing 3′s together allows teams to score in bunches, of course, and the Raiders certainly could use that against a strong mid-major field at the Myrtle Beach Invitational.
The first of their three games is at 8 p.m. Thursday against Princeton, which has won the last three Ivy League regular-season titles and upset No. 2 seed Arizona in the 2023 NCAA tourney.
The Tigers (4-1) are shooting 40.8% from 3.
One factor that may be hindering the Raiders is the loss of 2,000-point scorers Trey Calvin and Tanner Holden. They were a priority for defenses, creating more open 3′s for others.
“Just having Trey’s gravity of how much attention he required, that alone (helped). And also with Tanner — we just had a number of really good one-on-one players,” Sargent said.
“But I think we’re getting good 3′s. To start games, we’re just a little, I’d say, frantic or unsure. The second half, we find rhythm and we’re confident, and they’re going in. I know that’ll be more consistent as we move forward.”
THURSDAY’S GAME
Myrtle Beach Invitational
Wright State vs. Princeton, 8 p.m., ESPN+, 101.5, 1410
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