If it ain't broke, let's fix it

College basketball is a great game.

So, let's screw it up.

In my humble opinion, the value of the "three point field goal" is too high and the value of a free throw is too low, with respect to a standard field goal.  Also, IHMO, the value of a technical foul is way too high.

Here is a very simple "solution" to this "problem": Change the point value of the baskets in basketball.

Action	Now	Proposed
Field Goal	2	3
Long field goal	3	4
Free throw	1	2
Technical free throw	1	1

That would certainly change the flow of a game!

Yesterday Virginia Military beat Western Carolina 113-111 in overtime.  They won by hitting 20 three-point field goals and 24 regular field goals.  WC only hit 7 three-pointers.  If one takes the box scores and recasts this game with this new scoring system, things change a bit.

VMI Keydets
	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	PTS		All FG	3FG	2FG	FT
Jordan Weethee, F	5-10	2-5	3-4	15		5	2	3	3
Phillip Anglade, F	4-7	0-0	2-2	10		4	0	4	2
Tim Marshall, G	6-17	6-17	0-0	18		6	6	0	0
Brian Brown, G	3-8	3-7	0-0	9		3	3	0	0
Julian Eleby, G	11-22	8-15	13-15	43		11	8	3	13
Jarid Watson, C	3-4	0-0	4-7	10		3	0	3	4
Trey Chapman, F	1-4	0-0	3-4	5		1	0	1	3
Fred Iruafemi, F	0-0	0-0	0-0	0		0	0	0	0
Craig Hinton, F	1-2	1-2	0-0	3		1	1	0	0
Christian Burton, G	0-0	0-0	0-0	0		0	0	0	0
TOTALS	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	PTS
	34-74	20-46	25-32	113			80	42	50	172
	45.9%	43.5%	78.1%				60	28	25	113
Western Carolina Catamounts
	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	PTS		All FG	3FG	2FG	FT
Torrion Brummitt, F	11-15	0-0	9-13	31		11	0	11	9
Tucker Thompson, F	0-1	0-0	0-0	0		0	0	0	0
James Sinclair, G	16-30	4-8	4-5	40		16	4	12	4
Mike Brown, G	4-10	1-2	4-4	13		4	1	3	4
Rhett Harrelson, G	3-12	2-11	3-3	11		3	2	1	3
Ashley Williams, F	0-0	0-0	0-0	0		0	0	0	0
Justin Browning, F	4-6	0-0	2-5	10		4	0	4	2
Kenneth Hall, F	0-1	0-0	0-0	0		0	0	0	0
Devin Peterson, G	2-4	0-1	2-4	6		2	0	2	2
TOTALS	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	PTS
	40-79	7-22	24-34	111			28	99	48	175
	50.6%	31.8%	70.6%				21	66	24	111

WC would have won because of the decreased relative value of the long shot.

(Naturally, the game almost certainly would have progressed very differently.  I cannot tell, for example, if it would have even gone to overtime.)

The other interesting part for this change is that one player, Eleby, would have score 67 points. My guess is that 100-point games for a player would not be unheard of.

When the NCAA was trying to decide if they wanted a three-point field goal, there were lots of experiments that occurred.  For example, the year that NC State won the NCAA championship (1983), the ACC had a 17-foot three pointer--a chip shot!

Also, they have experimented with doing away with the foul-out, but that did not work well.

It would be fun--let's give it a shot in the pre-season next year.