For the majority of college basketball’s history, a four-year role player in the Big Ten who never averaged more than seven points per game wouldn’t be praised as a big time addition for the Duke Blue Devils.
Likewise, a guard who didn’t start in the A-10 wouldn’t get the opportunity to choose between the following five schools for his final year of eligibility: Duke, Kentucky, North Carolina, Kansas, and UConn.
However, both Mason Gillis and Koby Brea possess a skill so valuable in today’s game that it feels like we are looking at college basketball’s ‘Moneyball’ moment:
“They hit three point shots”.
Gillis is a 6’6 forward who drilled 40.7% of his three point attempts over four years at Purdue, including knocking them down at a 46.8% clip last season, and he will come in and provide much needed floor spacing, veteran experience, and toughness for this Duke team as they prepare to build around Tyrese Proctor and freshman Cooper Flagg in 2024-25.
Meanwhile, Brea averaged 11.1 points on blistering hot 49.8% shooting from beyond the arc last year at Dayton, attempting over six threes per game. He is now choosing between five of the sports bluest blue bloods, and regardless of where he ends up he will be a key piece for one of the most recognizable teams in college basketball – all because of his ability to hit the three ball.
The NBA has embraced the three point revolution and many college programs are catching on, and as long as this trend continues players who can consistently stretch the floor and hit open threes will remain hot commodities in the transfer portal and NIL era.