The way basketball is played today, shooting is the name of the game — more specifically, three-point shooting. In a 40-minute contest at the college level, one player getting hot from behind the arc can turn the entire game.
The nation has seen it in recent years in the NCAA Tournament; Fletcher Magee and Jack Gohlke each played for mid-major programs, but were the engine behind major upsets due to their ability to catch fire from three. Who could that be this year? Find out who makes our list of the top 10 shooters in college basketball.
Top 10 Shooters in College Basketball in 2025
As the college basketball calendar passes the midway point on the season, it’s a good time to see who are the best shooters in the country. Who might swing an NCAA Tournament game? Who to watch for elite shot-making as the season progresses? We’ll rank the 10 best shooters in the sport — beginning with five players who just missed the list.
Just Missed:
- Jayden Nunn, Baylor Bears
- Joe Nugent, Holy Cross Crusaders
- Brendan Hausen, Kansas State Wildcats
- Lamar Wilkerson, Sam Houston State Bearkats
- Chaz Lanier, Tennessee Volunteers
10) Kon Knueppel, Duke Blue Devils
Just a freshman, Knueppel has proven himself to be one of the best shooters in the country. He’s benefited from the extra attention applied to teammate Cooper Flagg, finding open spots on the floor.
His efficiency is solid — he’s shooting 38.3% from three on 6.3 attempts per game — but his capability to break a game open with his shooting ability is what makes him a high-level prospect at the NBA level. On Jan. 14, he poured in a career-high 25 points on six of eight shooting from behind the arc against the Miami Hurricanes.
Mainly a catch-and-shoot guy, Knueppel excels from the corners; four of his six triples against the Hurricanes came from the corner. Typical for a freshman, he had a slow start to the year but has ramped it up as Duke has begun their ACC schedule.
If the Blue Devils are going to make a run in the NCAA Tournament, Knueppel’s beautiful shooting form and ability will be one of the catalysts.
9) Eric Dixon, Villanova Wildcats
While Dixon may be seen as more of a scorer than shooter — he leads the nation in scoring at 24.8 ppg — don’t get it twisted, he can shoot the leather off the ball. A fifth-year senior, Dixon has improved his shooting each year. This season, he’s nailing 3.4 triples per game on excellent efficiency (47.5%).
The sweet-shooting, 6’8″, 265-pound lefty forward has no problem firing it up from a couple feet behind the line. He can put it on the floor too, side-stepping, relocating, and putting it in the bucket.
His form generates shades of former Kentucky Wildcat Julius Randle from behind the arc, but with much better accuracy. Dixon already has eight games of four or more threes. The strides he’s made season-by-season have led to Dixon placing himself in the thick of the best shooters in the country.
8) Payton Sandfort, Iowa Hawkeyes
Sandfort joins the long list of Hawkeye snipers. The 6’8″ forward has the length and ability to shoot over defenders when need be, while excelling at coming off pin-downs and elevator screens that Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery dials up.
Sandfort has grown into a solid all-around scorer in his senior season, averaging 17.1 ppg — but his best ability comes from behind the three-point line. This season, he’s knocked down 2.8 threes per game on 35.9% shooting, and in McCaffery’s up-tempo offense, the gravity Sandfort possesses to stretch the defense is just as important as the raw numbers.
The Iowa native endured a shooting slump early in the season, but he’s been ticking upwards as of late. In three games against Big Ten opponents between Jan. 7 and Jan. 14, Sandfort poured in 14 threes on 28 attempts. He was one of the best shooters in the country last season, and he’s continued his ways in 2024-25.
7) L.J. Cryer, Houston Cougars
Cryer has been a consistent force in college basketball for the past four years, hitting over 2.5 threes per game each season. After pushing through a slow start to the season, the Cougars guard has had some signature performances over the past two months.
His accuracy has been on full display, as he’s had games of 4-of-7, 5-of-7, and 6-of-7 from behind the arc. That’s raised his three-point percentage to 41.8%, and he’s hitting just a shade under three three-pointers per game.
The quick-dribbling ability of Cryer allows him to create his own shot with ease, while he’s also dangerous off catch-and-shoot with his lightning quick release. With a rather slow-paced offensive system, the Cougars depend on Cryer to nail his threes, and he’s done it consistently across his career.
6) Kam Craft, Miami (OH) Redhawks
After spending a year on the bench with the Xavier Musketeers, Craft has exploded onto the scene as a sophomore with the Redhawks. Leading the team in scoring with 16.1 ppg, Craft’s three-point shot is what does the most damage. He’s shooting 7.4 threes per game and making 3.4 of them, a 45.4% clip.
In a mid-December game, Craft poured in 10 threes on 16 attempts in only 22 minutes of action. Although not a quick release on his jumper, Craft makes up for it with his elevation. He’s comfortable coming off flare screens and pin-downs before rising up over an outstretched hand.
Led by the 6’6″ sophomore, the Redhawks are currently in first-place in the MAC. If you’re looking for the next three-point shooting darling come March Madness, Craft might be your guy.
5) Josh Hubbard, Mississippi State Bulldogs
Hubbard had a tremendous freshman campaign last season, pouring in a school-record 108 threes and being named to the All-SEC second team. He’s on a similar pace this season but with better efficiency at 36.1% from behind the arc.
Undersized at only 5’11”, if Hubbard is given just a sliver of space, it’s going up. Another shooter who doesn’t have the quickest of releases, Hubbard loves coming off ball screens and elevating over the defenders’ contest.
He began the season on a hot streak, hitting 18 threes in the team’s first four games. He’s trailed off as of late due to increased attention by opposing defenses, but it only takes one to go in before Hubbard could bust out of his slump and have a hot finish to the season.
4) Ryan Conwell, Xavier Musketeers
Another lefty, Conwell takes nearly eight threes a game and hits them at a 41.6% clip. Conwell spent last season with the Indiana State Sycamores before joining the Musketeers this season — and he’s improved in every scoring and shooting category. He leads the team in scoring at 17.1 ppg.
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His consistency is what sets him apart; in the team’s first 18 games, Conwell had 12 games with three or more made threes, including multiple five three-pointer efforts. Just recently, he drilled six threes on 10 attempts against Villanova, three of which came in the final five minutes, ensuring a six-point victory over the Wildcats.
Conwell is deadly in catch-and-shoot situations — when left open, he doesn’t miss often. A year at the mid-major level served him well, and he’s now considered one of the best shooters in the country.
3) Emanuel Sharp, Houston Cougars
A second Cougar makes the list, this time Cryer’s backcourt mate, junior Emanuel Sharp. They’ve made nearly the same amount of threes on the season, but Sharp’s accuracy has set him apart. While not a volume shooter, he’s one of the most accurate in college basketball; in fact, his 48.8% shooting from behind the arc ranks top-five in the country.
A bigger guard at 6’3″ and 210 pounds, Sharp’s jumper may not be the prettiest — at a glance, it resembles former UCLA Bruins guard Lonzo Ball’s old shooting form — but the results can’t be argued with. It goes in.
While Sharpe’s percentage might indicate he’s selective with his shot quality, he’s not shy about firing them up — with or without a defender draped all over him. His elite shot-making ability from deep provides the Cougars with a boost of momentum. Sharpe is a true game-changing shooter.
2) Koby Brea, Kentucky Wildcats
After four years with the Dayton Flyers, Brea burst onto the scene in his first five games as a Wildcat, sinking 20 of his 27 three-pointers, including contributing to a victory over No. 6 Duke. While his overall production has fallen over the course of the season, his accuracy of 46.7% from deep remains one of the best in the nation.
In Kentucky’s first game of SEC conference play, Brea scored 23 points off the bench on 7-of-9 shooting from beyond the arc, leading the team in scoring en route to a 106-100 victory.
Comfortable with the ball in his hands, Brea is also lethal in catch-and-shoot situations. He’ll pull up from way behind the line as well, regardless of how close a defender is. At 6’7″, he has the length and ability to shoot over a contesting hand. His innate shot-making prowess places him in the thick of the conversation for best shooter in the sport.
1) Reyne Smith, Louisville Cardinals
Smith is as pure of a shooter as there is in college basketball. Yet another lefty, the numbers are excellent — 3.6 made three-pointers per game on 39.3% — but they don’t tell the full story. He is a bona fide ceiling-riser for the Cardinals. When he’s on, they win.
Nine of his 10 shot attempts per game come from deep, a true volume shooter paired with pinpoint accuracy. Against Pitt in mid-January, Smith poured in 25 points on seven of 11 from three. The Cardinals repeatedly found their shooter in transition and in the clutch — his two threes in the final three minutes proved to be the difference.
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In December, his six threes and 27 points against the Florida State Seminoles led to another Cardinals victory. The senior has a quick-twitch release and is far from a stand-still shooter. He’s comfortable shooting on the move and coming off screens, something head coach Pat Kelsey has made a priority after securing Smith in the transfer portal.
He spent the first three seasons of his career with the Charleston Cougars before heading to Louisville for his final season. All of his numbers have improved — to the point of him becoming the best shooter in the entire country.
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