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The college basketball player who could only shoot threes -- sounds like the title of a Matt Christopher childrens sports book. It could also be a biography about Oakland University's Max Hooper. Hooper -- a redshirt senior playing for his third college team -- has taken 88 shots from the field this season and all 88 were three-pointers.
Hooper is capable of shooting two-pointers. He has shot them earlier in his career, several in fact. He's attempted some free throws this season, but he hasn't officially registered a shot from the floor that wasn't a three.
If you've played enough pickup basketball, you've probably encountered someone who shoots nothing but threes. You might be that person. I am that person. Max Hooper is that person too, except he's doing it at the college level and doing it really well. Hooper is shooting 43.2 percent from three this season. And that's coming off a down game. Through eight games he was shooting 46.6 percent.
Hopper didn't just roll out of bed and become a deadly three-point shooter who doesn't take twos. It has been a long process that has taken him all over the country. He played for two different high schools in California. Then headed off for a year of prep school. From there he started his career at Harvard only to transfer to St. Johns. He graduated and then transferred as a graduate transfer to Oakland. In his first year at Oakland he took 167 shots, 159 of which were threes. Now in his last season, he's all threes all the time.
There is no way a guy nicknamed "swoosh" who essentially travels from school to school and jacks nothing but threes is not my new favorite player. Keeping doing your thing, Max, you're doing it for all of us rec league three chuckers.
UPDATE 1/19
Oakland is now 19 games into its season and Hooper still hasn't shot a two. He has taken 138 shots from the floor this season and every single one is a three. The perfect season can still happen.
UPDATE 2/17
Oakland has now played 28 games. Hooper has attempted 214 shots. All three-pointers.
UPDATE 3/7
Oakland lost to Wright State in the Horizon League Tournament. Hooper, however, went 3-for-6 from the floor in the game, all three-pointers. The Grizzlies are unlikely to make the NCAA Tournament leaving Hooper 105-for-232 from the floor this season. All three-pointers. Barring play in another postseason tournament, Max Hooper literally shot only threes from the floor this year.