NCAA is changing the rules for the 2019-20 season

The NCAA announced on Wednesday, June 5, that the Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved moving the three-point line back to the international distance (22 feet, 1 ³⁄₄ inches) and for the shot clock to reset to 20 seconds after an offensive rebound.

Both rule changes were trialed in the 2019 NIT. Other changes include coaches ability to call timeouts and technical fouls to any players who use, “derogatory language about an opponent’s race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, gender expression, gender identify, sexual orientation or disability.”

All in all, not a bad bit of rule changes, and outside of quicker possessions following offensive rebounds, the rule changes are probably something that won’t affect too much of what we see next season.

For the Zags, moving the three-point line back is something that might be a boost to the offense. Killian Tillie has already shown an ability to hit the long range shot in international play, so the extra couple of feet will just space the floor out that much more.

Often times, the Zags like to run pretty simple high-low sets. Filip Petrusev is more of a classic, old-school center, and having a bit more room to operate within the interior will only be a good thing. Gonzaga is a team that likes to utilize the entire halfcourt set, and the extended three-point line should allow more fluid motions for the team’s offensive plays.

The extended three-point line will be a tough test for the incoming freshman. Most high school courts set their long range distance at 19 feet, 9 inches. With the line moving roughly 2.5 feet back, it will be interesting to see how this affects the shots of players like Brock Ravet (my guess is that he will continue to bomb away).