ESPN: Portland arena 3-point lines uneven for Texas-NC State Elite 8 showdown
Only minutes before game time between Texas and NC State in the Elite Eight, confusion swept over the floor. Evidently, the 3-point lines on each side of the court were slightly different distances. The ESPN broadcast provided further details on the bewildering situation.
“The NCAA was made aware that the top of the key to the 3-point line, the space on either side of the floor looked to be different,” ESPN’s Courtney Lyle said. “The NCAA notified both coaches and at approximately noon local time, 3 p.m. ET, both Wes Moore and Vic Schaefer came out to the floor to take a look at it.
“They asked for the NCAA to measure and they did that. They simply measured from the baseline to the top of the 3-point line and found there was a discrepancy on one end of the floor from the other. Both Vic Schaefer and Wes Moore have agreed to go ahead and play this game to avoid any delays.”
Ahead of the 2021-22 season, the NCAA moved the women’s basketball 3-point line to 22 feet, 1¾ inches from the basket. With the teams switching directions at the half, each team will have an opportunity to shoot on the side with the correct measurements.
After the first quarter concluded, NC State head coach Wes Moore was asked about the unusual situation. He remained tight-lipped about the NCAA’s mistake.
“They were measuring some things,” Moore said. “That’s all I want to say at this time. Let’s talk about the game.”
Despite Moore’s disinterest in discussing the subject, he was certainly intrigued by the discrepancy ahead of the game. Moore placed one foot in front of another, attempting to measure the distance the old-fashioned way. On the other end of the court, Texas HC Vic Schaefer utilized a similar strategy.
The mistake should not affect the Longhorns’ offense too much. Texas only makes four 3-pointers per game, ranking in the bottom 20% of the country. Meanwhile, NC State connect on 6.1 shots from deep per contest.
Although NC State boasts the advantage from deep range, Vegas has high expectations for Texas. Heading into the game, FanDuel listed the Longhorns as 7-point favorites. Texas was also a solid favorite on the money line at -325 to NC State’s +260.