BYU Hoops Nonconference Superlatives: Robert Wright III is BYU's most deadly 3-point shooter

BYU had a fantastic nonconference slate going 12-1 with quality wins against Villanova, Wisconsin, Miami, Dayton, and Clemson. The purpose of those 13 games was to prepare Kevin Young's squad for the buzzsaw that is Big 12 conference play which tips off on January 3rd against Kansas State. 

But before looking ahead to conference play, let's take a look back and give out some superlatives to BYU's key players. Today's spotlight is on sophomore transfer point guard Robert Wright III.

Nonconference Superlative: Most deadly 3-point shooter

This statistic will probably shock you -- I know it shocked me -- but with BYU wrapping up nonconference play, Robert Wright III is currently the Cougars most accurate 3-point shooter.

When I sat down to wright this article I fully assumed I'd be spilling digital ink about Wright's incredible ability to get to the rim, but when I looked at his stats I was surprised to see that he's hitting 45.3% of his 3-point attempts. And he's shooting a pretty high volume, too.

Through 13 games the Baylor transfer has hit 24-of-53 of his 3-pointers. On a per-game basis he's averaging 1.8 makes on 4.1 attempts. With Dawson Baker out for the season, that makes Wright the team's most accurate 3-point shooter. Richie Saunders is second at 40.5% and then it drops all the way down to Kennard Davis at 35.8%.

Wright's 3-point marksmanship isn't only important for the Cougars, it was also unexpected.

As a freshman for Baylor last year the 6-foot-1 dynamo averaged a good-but-not-great 35.2% from the 3-point line. In his first 13 games in a Cougars uniform his 3-point shooting average has jumped from 35.2% to 45.3%, more than 10 percentage points.

BYU's single most exhilarating play so far this year came on one of those 3-pointers when he beat Clemson at the buzzer.

What BYU needs from Robert Wright III in Big 12 conference play

The hope for BYU is Wright's sudden Steph Curry-like ability to drain 3-pointers can be sustained through conference play. While there will probably be some regression to the mean, if Wright can hit close to 40% of his 3s through Big 12 conference play that outside shooting ability will open up what he's best at, which is breaking down defenses on the dribble and getting into the paint.

Robert Wright III is one of the quickest, slipperiest point guards BYU has had in a long, long time. He can blow by wing defenders and get to the paint almost whenever he wants. Now, sometimes he drives to the bucket and doesn't seem to have a plan, occasionally picking up his dribble in the paint or forcing an off balance shot attempt at the rim, but his penetration puts pressure on defenses.

The Cougars need Robert Wright III to continue knocking down 3s so defenses don't sag on him, keeping driving lanes open for AJ Dybantsa and Richie Saunders. And when defenders get into his chest, BYU needs Wright to continue breaking down defenses with his penetration, opening up cutting lanes for Dybantsa and Saunders or creating lobs for Keba Keita.

With averages of 16.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.7 steals per game, Robert Wright III has exceeded the high expectations BYU had for him when he transferred from Waco to Provo. If he can continue to produce at this level, the Cougars will compete for a Big 12 title this year and make a deep run in March Madness.