New NCAA Basketball rules will look familiar to Frog fans

The NCAA announced last week that they would be adopting several rule changes for the 2019-2020 season, namely changing the distance of the three-point arc from a distance of 20’9” to 22’1.75”, which is the international distance.

This is the second time in the last decade that the line has been extended, as it was last moved in 2008-2009. The following season, three point percentages declined from 35.2% to 34.4%, eventually reaching the 35%+ mark again by 2017. During the 2019 NIT, where the international line was in effect, teams shot 33% from deep. In their four game NIT run, the Horned Frogs shot 30.7% from three, compared to their season percentage of 34.6.

The reasons listed for the distance change are threefold, according to a release by the NCAA Rules Oversight Committee:

Making the lane more available for dribble/drive plays from the perimeter.

Slowing the trend of the 3-point shot becoming too prevalent in men’s college basketball by making the shot a bit more challenging, while at the same time keeping the shot an integral part of the game.

Assisting in offensive spacing by requiring the defense to cover more of the court.

TCU averaged nearly 22 three point attempts per game, which makes this a critical change for the way they play offense. It should open up the lane though, which is great news for fans of Kevin Samuel’s paint dominance and Desmond Bane drives to the lane.

Additionally, the shot clock will be reset to 20 seconds after an offensive rebound as opposed to a full reset, something that will increase the pace of play and make for more exciting half court offense. This change was modeled very successfully during NIT games in 2019 as well.

Another crucial change is the ability for coaches to call live ball timeouts during the last two minutes of the second half and the last two minutes of any overtime period. The Horned Frogs would have benefitted from this change multiple times over the last several seasons, as on more than one occasion, last second possessions have gone poorly with Jamie Dixon unable to call timeouts prior to a final shot. Another change for the last two minutes is that instant replay review can be conducted if a basket interference or goaltending call has been made.

The last rule to go into effect is a critical and needed change, as the panel approved a proposal where players will be assessed a technical foul should they use derogatory language about an opponent’s race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, gender expression, gender identify, sexual orientation or disability.

You can see how these new rules impact the Horned Frogs in November, when the season begins again.