[76lsjumb]

story from ESPN indicates disparity in shooting

3-point lines in Portland 'not the same distance,' NCAA says - ESPN

Interesting that the teams shot worse from the short 3 point line. . ..

It makes sense though. You'd expect them to shoot better from the shorter line if they knew if it was shorter, but if they didn't know (and seems like most teams didn't), they'd be calibrating their shots for a longer distance than their actual position, and that would throw things off just as much as if the line were farther away than expected. Absolute distance isn't the problem here, rather difference from expected distance.

ETA: Even if they did know (as in the final game), making the adjustment with effectively zero prep time could be a significant challenge.

And yet... each team had practiced on the court [presumably both ends] and [at least for the Elite Eight] played a game on the court [definitely both ends] apparently without noticing.  Not exactly "zero prep time," nor, for that matter, evidence that it made such a big difference prior to the final game that anyone made a stink about it.

Also, although I haven't read all of the stories about it, the ones I have read make it sound like the problem was at the top of the key, not all the way around.  Maybe that's not the case, but, if it was, the difference would presumably have diminished as the arc went toward the end line, lessening whatever impact that difference should have caused.

Finally, there's always that old bugaboo so popular with announcers when a team can't throw it in the ocean ... sight lines.

[76lsjumb]

story from ESPN indicates disparity in shooting

3-point lines in Portland 'not the same distance,' NCAA says - ESPN

Interesting that the teams shot worse from the short 3 point line. . ..

It makes sense though. You'd expect them to shoot better from the shorter line if they knew if it was shorter, but if they didn't know (and seems like most teams didn't), they'd be calibrating their shots for a longer distance than their actual position, and that would throw things off just as much as if the line were farther away than expected. Absolute distance isn't the problem here, rather difference from expected distance.

ETA: Even if they did know (as in the final game), making the adjustment with effectively zero prep time could be a significant challenge.

And yet... each team had practiced on the court [presumably both ends] and [at least for the Elite Eight] played a game on the court [definitely both ends] apparently without noticing.  Not exactly "zero prep time," nor, for that matter, evidence that it made such a big difference prior to the final game that anyone made a stink about it.

Also, although I haven't read all of the stories about it, the ones I have read make it sound like the problem was at the top of the key, not all the way around.  Maybe that's not the case, but, if it was, the difference would presumably have diminished as the arc went toward the end line, lessening whatever impact that difference should have caused.

Finally, there's always that old bugaboo so popular with announcers when a team can't throw it in the ocean ... sight lines.