OU basketball rewind: How Jalen Hill became a 3-point threat for Sooners in Big 12 play
NORMAN — Jalen Hill worked hard this past offseason with a goal in mind.
After shooting a career-low 20.5% on 3-pointers in the 2021-22 season, the OU senior placed an emphasis on expanding his range. He recorded countless reps with the help of coaches and graduate assistants in hopes of becoming a well-rounded scoring threat for the Sooners.
So when Hill got a clean look from the corner in the opening minute of OU's exhibition game against Oklahoma City University on Oct. 25, he let it fly without hesitation.
The ball soared over the rim for an airball.
It marked the first of seven straight missed 3-point attempts across four games for Hill, who began to feel like his work in the offseason was all for naught.
"I'd just been working this whole summer and fall on my shot," Hill said. "Earlier in the year, it hadn't shown up. That kind of hurt because I'd been working on it."
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But Hill kept at it, and his shots have been falling as of late.
The veteran forward is 6-for-11 from deep (54.5%) in OU's first four Big 12 games. He's now shooting a career-high 34.6% from distance this season for the Sooners, who host West Virginia at 11 a.m. Saturday.
"To be honest, I'm just glad that all this work that I've put in is finally showing up," Hill said. "Like I said, it hurt that I was missing shots earlier. But now I'm making them and just contributing in ways that I wasn't earlier in the year."
Hill has been shooting the ball with confidence during Big 12 play, including in crucial moments.
No moment was bigger than the one down the stretch of OU's rivalry loss to then-No. 6 Texas on Dec. 31. The Sooners trailed 57-55 with 4:12 remaining when Grant Sherfield found Hill on the right wing.
Even with a hand in his face, Hill elevated and buried his second 3-pointer of the night on as many tries to give the Sooners the lead.
It's a shot Hill likely wouldn't have attempted in previous years, but he hasn't shied away from letting it fly.
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The fourth-year Sooner only attempted more than two 3-pointers in three games entering this season. He has already done so five times this season.
“His confidence is going through the roof," Moser said of Hill. "What it does give you is it gives you another guy that the rest of the team, the younger guys, can look to in close games."
With a newly-equipped 3-point shot in his arsenal, Hill has become a two-way threat for the Sooners.
The Las Vegas native boasts an offensive rating of 111.7, which ranks third on the team, and he's also OU's best defender. The 6-foot-6 forward is versatile enough to guard guys at all three levels, and he faced his toughest challenge in Tuesday's loss to No. 2 Kansas.
Jalen Wilson entered the contest with a conference-leading average of 20.2 points per game. And while Wilson still recorded 17 points thanks in part to a 10-of-12 showing from the free throw line, Hill helped hold the star Jayhawks forward to 3-for-12 shooting from the floor (25%).
The Sooners ask a lot from Hill on both ends. But with the addition of his 3-point shot, he's over-delivering so far.
"Jalen is immersed in just playing intense, competitive, locked-in," Moser said. "That’s what I hope the other guys are following him on, his lead. That’s what he brings."
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OU basketball's top two players this season
Senior guard Grant Sherfield: Sherfield showed out in OU's loss to Kansas. The Wichita, Kansas, native racked up a game-high 25 points on 9-for-15 shooting from the floor (60%). Sherfield continues to be the Sooners' engine on offense. The Nevada transfer is averaging team-highs of 17.4 points and 3.4 assists per game this season.
Senior forward Jalen Hill: Hill has established himself as OU's best two-way player. The Las Vegas native is averaging 9.3 points per game on a career-high 34.6% shooting from deep, and he also has a large impact on defense. Hill is mobile enough to defend both guards and bigs, making him an indispensable piece to OU's rotation.
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OU basketball's player of the week
Freshman guard Milos Uzan: The Big 12 is known for being a physical, veteran-led conference. But that didn't stop Uzan in his first two Big 12 road tests. Uzan averaged 14.5 points and 4 rebounds in a pair of road games against Texas Tech and Kansas. The former four-star recruit made massive plays down the stretch of both contests, and he showed why he has one of the highest upsides on the roster.
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OU basketball's player on the rise
Sophomore guard C.J. Noland: After losing his starting spot to Uzan prior to a game against then-No. 9 Arkansas on Dec. 10, Noland averaged just 5 minutes per game in OU's next four contests. It was an adjustment period for the former Big 12 All-Freshman Team honoree, who has since found a way to produce off the bench. In OU's last three games, Noland is averaging 5.7 points and 1.7 steals in 20.3 minutes. Noland likely won't get his starting spot back any time soon with the way Uzan is playing, but he can still be a valuable contributor on the second unit.
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Stat to know for Sooners
OU must keep up with West Virginia on the offensive glass Saturday.
The Sooners haven't gotten many second-chance opportunities this season. They have an offensive rebound percentage of 22.4%, which ranks 336th in the nation.
Meanwhile, West Virginia thrives on the offensive glass.
The Mountaineers boast an offensive rebound percentage of 34%, which ranks 44th in the nation. Their driving force is Jimmy Bell Jr., a 6-10 senior who boasts 41 offensive rebounds this season.
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OU basketball's updated NCAA Tournament projection
The Sooners moved up a few spots in the latest NCAA Tournament projections by ESPN's Joe Lunardi.
OU entered Tuesday's contest against Kansas as the projected last team to make the tournament. Following a 79-75 loss to the Jayhawks, the Sooners are now picked by Lunardi to be the third-to-last team to make the cut.
OU also saw a slight increase in its NET ranking, going from 46 to 44.
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Tip-ins
• Moser on where he feels OU ranks in the Big 12: "I think we can compete. I really do... They're playing their tails off. They're following gameplans... We're right there. Right there."
• Junior forward Sam Godwin on OU's narrow conference losses: "We just have to learn to close games. It's coming down to one or two possession games, and we're having leads. We've just got to stick to our scout late game, push through the fatigue and get it done."
• Moser on Godwin, who recorded season-highs of 12 points and 7 rebounds against Kansas: "Toughness. Just toughness. He played through physicality. He just was one of the tougher guys on the floor on our side."
OU vs. West Virginia
TIPOFF: 11 a.m. Saturday at Lloyd Noble Center in Norman (ESPN2)
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU basketball: Jalen Hill emerging as a 3-point threat in Big 12 play
