The best shooter in college basketball says one word before he shoots: jellybean
This story is a part of Peak, TheAthletic‘s desk protecting the psychological aspect of sports activities. Sign up for Peak’s e-newsletter here.
CHICAGO — Iowa State’s Milan Momcilovic is an elite jumpshooter. Statistically, he’s the best 3-point shooter in males’s college basketball. But even the best can have doubts.
“I would always think something is wrong with my shot,” Momcilovic stated. “Maybe I’m not holding my follow through. Maybe the arc on the ball is not the best.”
So he began working with a sports activities psychologist, who gave him a easy approach.
“Think about something, just one word, before you shoot,” stated Momcilovic.
The word? “Jellybean.”
“I’m shooting way better this year than I was last year, so it probably worked a little bit,” he added.
The lanky 6-foot-8 sniper is capturing higher than everybody this 12 months: 49.3 %, tops in Division I males’s college hoops, on 7.6 makes an attempt per recreation. His 134 made 3-pointers are additionally probably the most in the game, regardless of his 272 makes an attempt not even rating in the highest 20. It’s the primary motive the junior ahead earned second-team All-Big 12 honors and is averaging a team-high 17.2 factors for No. 2 seed Iowa State, which faces No. 6 Tennessee in the Sweet 16 on Friday. The Cyclones are 29-7 this season and making an attempt to achieve the Elite Eight for the primary time since 2000.
Momcilovic performed highschool basketball in Pewaukee, Wisconsin, simply outdoors of Milwaukee. That’s when he first met sports activities psychologist Dr. Matthew Myrvik. Momcilovic admits that he did not actually need a lot assistance on the psychological aspect in highschool as a four-star prospect, however he struggled early in college. He made 36 % of his makes an attempt from past the arc as a freshman, at a wonderfully cheap charge, however less than his requirements. His confidence suffered due to it.
“A lot of ups and downs,” he stated.
His dad insisted on Zoom periods with Myrvik, who has labored with NBA gamers for the Milwaukee Bucks. They mentioned totally different subjects and methods, however Momcilovic stated this 12 months the “jellybean” factor appeared to click on.
“(Dr. Myrvik) suggested using a food item. I don’t know why I picked ‘jellybean,'” Momcilovic instructed TheAthletic. “Maybe because it’s a little longer word? It’s not even my favorite candy.”
He improved to 39.6 % from 3-point vary as a sophomore however totally locked in this season, capturing 51.2 % from the sector total for an efficient area aim proportion of 67.9 %, plus 87.8 % on free throws.
Momcilovic would not say “jellybean” out loud — “It’s just in my head” — and he admits he will go full video games with out utilizing it in any respect.
“It’s more for in practice,” he stated. “You practice your shot so many times, and you sometimes get thoughts that creep in your head that maybe something’s wrong. If I say it before I’m shooting, it’s a way to not think about the shot.”
Whenever and nevertheless he makes use of it, it is clearly working.
“In the past, it would be, ‘I missed one or two, I don’t know if I’m going to take the next one,’” Iowa State head coach TJ Otzelberger told the Des Moines Register earlier this season. “Now, he’s imposing his will on everything… He just keeps himself in such an unbelievable mental place that he knows that it’s the hunting and the attempts that we’re really after as opposed to only the makes.”
Confidence is a constant theme of Momcilovic’s periods with Myrvik, separating course of from outcomes. Iowa State and Otzelberger know the way good of a shooter Momcilovic is and wish him doing it at a excessive quantity. And doubt it’ll spoil extra recreation plans than a pair early misses.
“The first two years, I questioned my confidence and not being the same player every game,” Momcilovic stated. “This year I’ve been way more consistent, and the sessions helped with that.”
It might result in greater than the best 3-point stroke in the sport, too. Like a deep March Madness run. Or a jellybeans NIL deal.
“My agent said I heard something,” Momcilovic stated. “So we’ll see.”
