Duke, Baylor among top college teams whose players could win Olympic gold medals in 3×3 basketball

The 2024 Olympics are bringing an alternative form of basketball into the international spotlight. The return of 3×3 basketball A total of eight nations are set to make their debut in Tokyo during the 2020 Olympics Participate in this competitionWhich is played in a half court with a 12-second shot clock.

Generally, the basis of the game is the same as traditional basketball: putting the ball in the basket and preventing your opponent from doing the same. However, 3×3 places even more emphasis on outside shooting as shots from beyond the arc are worth two points while shots inside the arc are worth only one point.

Maybe that’s why the former BYU star Jimmer Fredette Fredette has become such a prominent figure in the world of 3×3 basketball. The 35-year-old former All-American hit 39.4% of his 3-pointers in four seasons with the Cougars and led the nation in scoring during the 2010-11 season. Although he had limited success in the NBA, Fredette shined while playing overseas and now has a chance to add a gold medal to his resume.

With 3×3 hoops getting some attention, we attempted to speculate on how it might work in college basketball. For this week’s Dribble Handoff, our writers are picking which 2024-25 college basketball teams will produce the best 3×3 teams.

Jeremy Roach, VJ Edgecombe and Norchad Omier

I’d go with Baylor’s Roach, Edgecombe and Omier — mainly because that would give me a fifth-year lead guard (Roach) who shot 42.9% from 3-point range last season at Duke, a potential one-and-done wing (Edgecombe) who has the size and athletic ability to handle our toughest defensive assignments, and a fifth-year big man (Omier) who has averaged a double-double in four straight years of college basketball. That would be a three-man team that is talented, athletic and experienced.

We can play pick-and-roll with Roach and Omier. We can isolate Edgecombe and let him dominate less talented players. The bottom line is that, in my opinion, this trio will be better equipped than any other school’s best three-man duo to bring home a gold medal. They are the main reason Baylor will be one of the favorites to win the 2025 NCAA Tournament this season, which would make Scott Drew a rare coach to win a championship twice. — Gary Parrish

Kylen Boswell, Kaspars Jakusionis and Tomislav Ivcic

If I’m working together and scouting for a competitive 3×3 team, I’m looking for the following things, in no particular order: shooting, size, rebounding, toughness and unselfishness, which will (hopefully) lead to passing and ball-movement. At Illinois I feel I can tick all of those boxes.

Boswell transferred from Arizona and is a creative passer who can initiate action. Jacusionis is a freshman who is a do-it-all and can shoot, attack and add size as a rebounder. And big man Ivcic is 7-foot-1 who can space the floor as a shooter, be a threat as a roller and find open teammates as a passer.

The ball movement, shooting, and rebounding for this trio will be tough for any team to contain. I like our chances with the key pieces of this year’s Illini freshmen. — Kyle Boone

Ace Bailey, Dylan Harper and Jordan Derkack

The Rutgers trio of Bailey, Harper and Derkach will be a young but dangerous duo in the 3×3 format due to their skill and versatility. Bailey and Harper are both five-star freshmen while Derkach is a junior who was named the NEC Player of the Year (and Defensive Player of the Year) at Merrimack last season.

Derkach and Harper are both 6-6 and 215 pounds. Bailey is 6-10 and weighs 200 pounds. While there are no paint bruisers in this group, all three have the right combination of size and athleticism to hold their own despite switches that come via picks or dribble handoffs. Offensively, they will be matchup nightmares as all three will be able to outrun traditional bigs or bully smaller guards.

The jury is out on whether the heavily restructured Scarlet Knights can be a championship team in 2024-25 while relying so heavily on two freshmen. But in this theoretical college 3×3 contest, Rutgers is an easy choice. — David Cobb

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Tyrese Proctor, Caleb Foster and Cooper Flagg

The advantage of having a team full of blue-chip talent is that you have players with different skill sets for unique scenarios like this one.

I debated between Duke, Kansas, and Alabama for this exercise, but ultimately decided on the Blue Devils because they would present a fun lineup. You need players who can shoot, facilitate, and defend, so Proctor, Foster, and Flagg would fill those boxes.

Flagg, who is considered the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, will be one of the best two-way players from day one as he is a three-level scorer who is also a great defender. Proctor has shown he can be a high-level defender with an adequate assist/turnover ratio. Foster is the true wild card of the group as he is poised for a monster sophomore season.

I considered adding Mason Gillis, who came in from Purdue, to the team because of his excellent 3-point shooting ability, but settled with a team of Proctor, Foster, and Flagg. — Cameron Salerno