There is no denying the current landscape of college basketball. We live in a 3-point world — and DII men’s basketball is no exception. Having an ace from beyond the arc can help ride the waves of runs and make big leads from the opposition fade quickly.
Whether a team likes to run, or lock it down with tight defense, there has been a rise in points coming from 3-point land. These nine shooters are some of the best to do it in DII.
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9 returning sharpshooters to watch in DII men's hoops
Tristan Hurdle, Black Hills State. Hurdle is a well-traveled RMAC veteran, having played at CSU Pueblo, Fort Lewis and Black Hills State. He has always been known for his 3-point prowess, but last year, the 6-foot-6 swingman led DII men’s basketball, shooting 47.6 percent from behind the arc. Appearing mostly of the bench, he sunk 70 of his 147 3-point attempts and averaged 10.3 points per game in just 19.7 minutes per night. The Yellow Jackets were tabbed the RMAC preseason favorites, and having a sharpshooter like Hurdle will surely help.
Max Booher, Quincy. Booher was fantastic as a freshman for the Hawks last season. He led the team in scoring with 13.0 points per game, and that was fueled from his ability behind the arc. Booher hit the second-most 3-pointers per game among freshmen with 2.64 and shot a highly efficient 40.2 percent on the season. He sunk 66 treys and will look to build on that in a promising sophomore campaign.
Zakari McQueen, Adelphi. McQueen led the CACC in 3-pointers made per game with 3.2, a mark that landed him 13th overall in DII. After leading Goldey-Beacom in scoring last year (dropping 14.9 points per game), he takes his talents to Adelphi. Last year, the Panthers shot 37.6 percent from 3-point land, finishing second in the NE10, so McQueen will seemingly fit right in from the start. The Panthers should be in the mix for the NE10, and if their defense is as strong as last year (68.4 points allowed per game), having a big weapon from the outside should help put games away.
Max Polk, Lynn. Polk stays in the SSC, coming to the Fighting Knights from Florida Tech. Last year with the Panthers, Polk led the Sunshine State in 3-point percentage, hitting an impressive 44.1 percent, which was also top 15 in all DII. He was ninth in the SSC in scoring, averaging 17.0 points per game, adding roughly nine points per game from downtown. Lynn led the SSC in 3-pointers made per game last year with 13.0, nearly three more than the next closest team. It is quite obvious why the Knights went out and got Polk for their style of play.
Ryan Blount, Tampa. Staying in the Sunshine State Conference, Blount was one of the better freshmen last year, especially from 3. The Spartans had a depth of double-digit scorers, and Blount finished fifth among them, averaging 11.9 points per game. That was enhanced by some fine 3-point shooting, as he finished fourth in the SSC at 41.1 percent. He tied for the team lead by hitting 2.5 3s per game and is positioned well to continue that trend as Tampa is a team that loves shooting from deep, as evidenced by its 10.8 made per game last year.
Jaylen Davis, Cedarville. Davis was a great find last year, transferring in from Liberty. He rewarded Cedarville with 69 3-pointers while hitting them at a 41 percent rate. He was sharp from downtown but also led the team in scoring with 14.3 points per game. Cedarville has its four top scorers returning, which should keep continuity among the offense. That should allow him to continue to fire away from downtown.
Trevor Frank, DBU. Frank and the Patriots may have had a rough opening weekend, but he will get back on track quickly. Frank has a feel for lighting things up off the bench, winning the LSC sixth man of the year in each of the last two seasons. Now a starter, the Patriots should benefit from his talents from 3. Last year he drilled 88 3-pointers, which had him in the top 30 of DII. Even after struggling to a 2-for-13 start in the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic, he has hit 35 percent of his 3-pointers throughout his career.
Sirr Hughes, Converse. Hughes had to find a new home when Limestone closed his doors. He landed at Converse, and the Valkyries should benefit from one of the best 3-point shooters in DII last year. Hughes hit 85 of his 207 3s, with his 41.1 percent rate in the top 30. He was much improved from his first season, hitting 22 more 3s at a 7 percent higher rate, improving his overall scoring total from 10.7 as a freshman to 20.0 per game last year. He should help improve Converse immediately.
Kobe Mitchell, Walsh. Mitchell is entering his third season with the Cavaliers, and he's been a scoring threat for them since he stepped on the floor. He averaged 16.8 points per game in 2023-24 and was a model of consistency, scoring 16.1 points per game last year. Nearly 10 of those points per game from behind the arc, as he finished 16th in DII with 3.2 3-pointers per game. He shot 40.7 percent from downtown and is a 41.6 percent 3-point shooter on his career. He'll look to keep cooking in his senior season.
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