Corey Washington building confidence shooting 3s for Wichita State basketball

The evolution of Corey Washington’s 3-point shot has been a peculiar one.

In his first season of college basketball, the 6-foot-6 forward didn’t attempt a single shot beyond the arc. He didn’t see much need, as his tenaciousness led to 70.6% accuracy inside the arc.

But last season at Saint Peter’s, Washington went from zero total attempts to shooting three 3-pointers per game at a 30.8% clip.

After joining Wichita State this offseason from the transfer portal, Washington believes he is ready to take another leap this upcoming season: not just taking 3s, but making them at a higher rate.

“It’s definitely a process,” Washington told The Eagle. “Me not shooting 3s my freshman year was all about confidence. I didn’t have any confidence out there. I started to build it up last year and that allowed me to progress my game.”

Teams are allowed just four hours of on-court basketball activities per week during the summer months, but players are free to practice and play together on their own.

Washington has already logged heavy hours on the shooting gun inside Koch Arena and said he regularly takes advantage of team managers being available to rebound for him. Since impressing WSU coaches with his long-range shot on his official visit, Washington has continued to work hard on adding consistency to his form for his junior year.

“I’m already feeling way more comfortable,” Washington said. “I’ve been working a lot on catch-and-shoots. That’s really the main shot. Once I get comfortable with that, then maybe I can start shooting them off the dribble.”

Don’t expect Washington to suddenly become a 3-point sniper for the Shockers, but if he can at least force teams to think twice about leaving him on the 3-point line, it would be a huge win for the team’s offense.

Where Washington did the bulk of his damage in averaging 15.9 points was at the rim, where he converted 56% of his looks last season. Paired with a relentless post-up game, Washington was a foul magnet, drawing 5.8 fouls per 40 minutes for the 78th-highest rate in the country. Not only is he aggressive, he is also capable of making free throws, shooting 77% on 8.2 attempts per game last season.

“He is a dynamic player who can defend multiple positions, rebound at a high rate and play in a manner where he is ultra aggressive in transition and in the half court,” WSU head coach Paul Mills said in a statement. “Corey has met every challenge in front of him as a collegiate player and thrived. He led a good Saint Peter’s team to the NCAA Tournament this past season and I’m confident he will be a valuable addition to do the same thing for the Shockers moving forward.”

After playing in March Madness last season for Saint Peter’s, Washington was looking for a situation with a higher-rated program where he could return.

He believes WSU has that potential.

“The coach and the culture here really fits what I’m about,” Washington said. “I have that chip on my shoulder, no matter what. I could be in the NBA and I’m still going to have that child on my shoulder to prove myself.”

At 6-6 and 180 pounds, Washington has the ideal frame of a small forward in the American Athletic Conference but plays with the attitude and mindset of a power forward. He’ll likely split time between the two forward positions for WSU, giving Mills more versatility than the Shockers had last season.

And if he can add a reliable 3-ball to his repertoire, Washington could quickly become a valuable newcomer to WSU’s lineup.

“Coach Mills is a big numbers guy and he showed me my percentages and what I need to work on the most,” Washington said. “That really opened my eyes on the things I need to work on. So now it’s just about putting in the work and staying in the gym.”