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West Virginia's three-point shooting was a significant weakness last season, with Honor Huff accounting for 49% of the team's made triples. The Mountaineers struggled to find consistent outside shooting beyond the 5'10" guard, making it difficult to win games when their leading scorer took 79% of his shots from beyond the arc.
Head coach Ross Hodge addressed this issue by recruiting transfer portal additions who can score efficiently from all three levels. Finley Bizjack, Joson Sanon, Brenen Lorient, and true freshman Miles Sadler are all capable threats from deep, and even big man Mouhamed Sylla can occasionally step out and knock down a three.
Elite Shooting Recognition
Basketball analytics expert Evan Miyakawa recently released preseason projections identifying teams with the most elite shooters. West Virginia, along with Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and Creighton, is tied for second nationally with four players classified as elite three-point marksmen, trailing only BYU, which has five. To qualify as elite, a player must rank in the 90th percentile for projected three-point percentage.
The four Mountaineers earning this distinction are Finley Bizjack, Joson Sanon, Martin Somerville, and Miles Sadler. Each brings a proven track record from beyond the arc, though their paths to Morgantown varied.
Player Breakdown
Joson Sanon shot nearly 37% from three during his freshman season at Arizona State, where he started and logged significant minutes. After transferring to St. John's and taking on a bench role, his attempts decreased and his percentage dipped to 33.6%. However, as demonstrated in a recent exhibition against Wheeling where he hit three consecutive triples, Sanon can heat up quickly.
Martin Somerville connected on 40% of his three-point attempts as a freshman at UMass-Lowell before hitting 33% at Florida State last year. A mark in the mid-30s seems like a reasonable target for him this season.
Finley Bizjack is a career 36% shooter from beyond the arc and is capable of catching fire, as seen in the first half against Maryland. Two years ago at Butler, he shot an impressive 42.8% from deep on 5.9 attempts per game. Despite a larger role last year due to injuries, he still hit 34% on increased volume. With more talent around him, his attempts should decrease from 7.4 per game, potentially pushing his percentage into the high 30s or low 40s.
Miles Sadler is a natural scorer whose three-point shot will continue to develop. He possesses a smooth stroke and has the potential to become a lethal shooter from range as his career progresses.