Paris in the Springtime?

D2 Thursday, June 6, 2019 |TimesDaily TENNIS NCAA BASKETBALL Collegebasketball’s Parisinthe springtime? 3-pointlineto French Open rainoutsinks move back schedule By Alex Zietlow of their 3-pointers in con- By Howard Fendrich and SteveWiseman ference play last season, The Associated Press Wirereports which ranked No. 9among all conferences. NCAA PARIS —The second College basketball's champion Virginia hit a full-day washout at the 3-point shot just got alittle league-best 43.1% of its French Open since 2000 deeper. 3-pointers in ACC play made amess of the sched- The NCAA Playing Rules and 39.5% overall (No. 8 uleWednesday and raised Oversight Panel approved nationally). thepossibilitythat the moving the 3-point line to North Carolina finished Grand Slam tournament the international basketball second behind Virginia in will not finish on time. distance in men's basket- 3-point shooting in ACC Tournamentdirector ball, the NCAA announced play at 37.9 percent. The Guy Forget said there is Wednesday. Thedistance Tar Heels shot 36.2% for achancethat the wom- is now 22 feet, 1 3/4inches— the season, well above the en’s singles final could be 16.75 inches farther than national average of 34.4 delayed from Saturday to thelinewas forthe 2018- percent. Sunday. 19 season. ACC champion Duke hit “It’s not what we hope,” The rule will go into only 29.6% of its 3-point- Forget said, “but if we effect this upcoming season ersinACC play, part of the have no other choice, then for Division Ischools, per team's overall poor year of that’s what we will do.” the NCAA release. shootingfrombehindthe Roland Garros is the The Men's Basketball arc. only Grand Slam site Rules committee recom- Normally asolid 3-point without acovered court; mended this change after shooting team, Duke strug- aretractable roof is coaches provided positive gled last season to a30.8 expected to be added to feedback in apost-play percentage overall. That's the main stadium before rules survey after com- No. 327 among all Division next year’s tournament peting in the 2018 and Iteams nationally. at the facility in western 2019National Invitation It's the first time aDuke Paris. Tournaments. team shot worse than 37% As things stand now, The committee said since the 2008-09 team hit with the last two women’s moving back the 3-point 34.9 percent. quarterfinals —defending arc would make the lane While Duke struggled champion Simona Halep more available for dribble to hit the 3-pointer last of Romania vs. 17-year- penetration and would season, the Blue Devils old Amanda Anisimova slow the trend of the were still among the of the U.S., and No. 8 Aspectator with an umbrella walksaway after all matches of the French Open were postponeddue 3-point shot becoming nation's top teams on Ash Barty of Australia vs. to rain Wednesdayatthe Roland Garros stadium in Paris. [CHRISTOPHE ENA/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS] "too prevalent in men's offense. Duke's offen- No. 14 Madison Keys of college basketball." sive efficiency rating of the U.S. —moved from set Tuesday, so those French Open at aglance Villanova coach Jay 1.2 points per possession Wednesday to Thursday, players can sit back, relax Wright, in astatement ranked No. 7inthe nation, whoever emerges from and prepare. On the men’s LOOKINGAHEAD released by the NCAA, said according to KenPom. that half of the draw could side, RafaelNadal faces After rain washed out all of Wednesday’s play, the four remaining he likes the move. com. That's the 11th con- end up playing on three Roger Federer, meeting quarterﬁnal matches have been rescheduled for today, when the "The time is right secutive season the Blue consecutive days. Friday for sixth time at forecast is better. Top-ranked Novak Djokovic carries a25-match because it gets college Devils finished in the top 10 The semifinals that Roland Garros and 39th Grand Slam winning streak into his meeting with No. 5Alexander guys close to the NBA nationally in that category. were supposedtobe time overall. They own a Zverev, while 2018 French Open ﬁnalist Dominic Thiem faces line," Wright said. "The The longer 3-point line Thursday are now sched- combined 37 Grand Slam No. 10 Karen Khachanov. If he takes the trophy, Djokovic would shooting has improved will go into effect for Divi- uled for Friday. But, titles. become only the second man in history to hold all four major titles enough that moving back sion II and Division III a as Forget noted, while “Theone,”Forgetcalled at the same time on two separate occasions, joining Rod Laver. is warranted. The line back year later than Division I, Thursday’s forecast looks it, “that alot of people are Djokovic already accomplished the feat in 2015-16. Laver remains will create better spacing starting with 2020-21. OK, Friday’s calls for more waiting for, of course.” the only man to have won all four Grand Slams in the same cal- and help with freedom of In addition to extend- showers. On the women’s side, endar year, in 1962 and 1969. Women’s matches open play, with movement." ing the3-point line,the “Friday,” he said, “is it’s No. 26 Johanna defending champion Simona Halep taking on 17-year-old Amanda The international dis- NCAA made four other kind of complicated.” Konta of Britain against Anisimova of the U.S. in Court Philippe Chatrier. The winner will tance was used on an rules changes that will go That would mean the unseeded 19-year-old play either No. 8seed Ash Barty or No. 14 seed Madison Keys, experimental basis during into effect this season. women’s semifinals could Marketa Vondrousova of who start play on Court Suzanne Lenglen. National Invitation Tour- •Inanother effort to end up on Saturday. the Czech Republic. Nei- nament games and the increase the pace of games, Also moved from ther has reached amajor STAT OF THE DAY shots proved tougher the30-second shotclock Wednesday to Thursday final. 2: The number of times that rain has wiped out afull day of play to make. Participating will be reset to 20 seconds were the lasttwo men’s Play was wiped out by at the French Open since 2000. Before Wednesday, the only other teams hit only 33% of their after afield goal attempt quarterfinals: No. 1Novak rain at the French Open time it happened in the last 19 years came in 2016. 3-pointers, compared to hits the rim and the offen- Djokovic of Serbia, who is for afull day in 2016. the national regular-sea- sive team rebounds the ball attemptingtowin afourth Before that, it hadn’t hap- QUOTE OF THE DAY son average of 35.2. in the front court. Previ- consecutiveGrand Slam pened since 2000. “The players have anicelounge. They have hot meals. They have N.C. State played three ouslythe clock was reset title, against No. 5Alex- In 2012, the men’s places where they can sleep. They are with relatives and families. NIT games last March to the full 30 seconds. ander Zverev of Germany, final between Nadaland They can have massages. ... I’m not worried about them.” —Tour- using thedeeper distance •Players will be assessed and No. 4Dominic Thiem Djokovic began on Sunday nament director Guy Forget when asked how the players were for 3-pointers. A35.2% atechnical foul shouldthey of Austria vs. No. 10 Karen but was suspended in the coping with the postponement due to rain. He said he was more shooting team for the use derogatory language Khachanov of Russia. fourth set and resumed concerned about the fans. season, the Wolfpack hit about anopponent'srace, Instead ofbeginning at Monday.That was the 23 of 69 (33 percent) during ethnicity, national origin, 2p.m.localtime(1200 first time since 1973 that The Associated Press the NIT. religion, gender, gender GMT, 8a.m. EDT) on the clay-court major Creighton coach Greg expression, gender iden- Thursday, play will start tournament lasted past its McDermott, in astatement tify, sexual orientation or at noon (1000 GMT, 6 originally scheduled final it’s very hard to pre- worse-case scenario, released by the NCAA, said disability. a.m. EDT). Sunday. dict scheduling,” Forget knowing that ideally we he thinks the change will be •Coaches can call live- One semifinal in each “When we have uncer- said. “But we have want to try to finish on minimal. ball timeouts in the last two singles draw already was tain weather, of course, to always study the Sunday.” "After playing in the NIT minutes of the second half under experimental rules," and the last two minutes of McDermott said, "I felt the any overtime periods. Pre- training staff before tipoff. difference inresults and viously, coaches weren't FINALS He didn’t endupwarming preparation was minimal. allowed to call any live-ball From Page D1 uponthe court. Outside of providing alittle timeouts during the game. Thompson did some more spacing, Idon't see it •Inanother rule change running and shooting having aprofound impact covering late-game situ- not only Thompson’s earlier in the day but Kerr on the game." ations,instant replay touch from outside but said the Warriors weren’t The last time the line review can be conducted also his stifling defense. going to play him “if there’s was moved was before the if abasket interference or Raptors coach Nick risk” of further damage at 2008-09 season when it goaltending call has been Nurse challenged his team this stage of the series. was extended from 19 feet, made in the last two min- to produce more defensive Thompson is averaging nineinches to 20 feet, nine utes of the second half and stops in order to get out in 19.5 points, 4.0 rebounds inches.

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