Texas Basketball: 3 best shooters for the Longhorns in the Sweet 16

Brock Cunningham, F

One of the most underappreciate efficient shooters in the Big 12 this season, hands down, is the 6-foot-5 and 205-pound senior forward Brock Cunningham.

Since the start of last season, only one player in the Big 12 has shot a better percentage from deep than Cunningham, Kansas State’s Nijel Pack. Cunningham shot the three-ball at a clip of 43.4 since the start of last season.

And in terms of shooters that are about as close to automatic as it gets from the top of the key in the Big 12 on open jumpers, Cunningham gives the Longhorns a real weapon to kick the ball out to beyond the arc. Cunningham has shot the three-ball on unguarded jumpers this season at a clip north of 48 percent. That number also shoots north of 50 percent on unguarded jumpers from above the break this season.

It’s clear that Cunningham’s three-point shooting proficiency was either overlooked or wasn’t fully developed yet during his first two seasons at Texas. Cunningham’s three-point attempts have nearly doubled in the last two years compared to the first two years of his collegiate career.

And I would only expect Cunningham to continue to get more looks from here on out with the way he’s shooting from deep in the last 18 months, along with the fact that he’s set to return for another year during the 2023-24 campaign.

Although, I would be disrespecting Cunningham’s overall shooting ability if I didn’t mention that he’s still adept at getting the ball in the basket from the mid-range and on drives/lay-ups.

Cunningham shoots 45.5 percent on the season from the mid-range, good for the 80th percentile among all players in the country. And he ranks in the 95th percentile or higher both in terms of effective field goal percentage and points per possession on short jump shots this season (17 feet to the basket or closer).

Essentially, when Cunningham is able to get his feet planted and has at least two or three feet of separation from the closing defender he is one of the purest shot-makers in the Big 12. I would like to see him have at least a couple of confident looks from the field (especially from deep) if he’s got some open catch-and-shoot opportunities against Xavier on March 24.