William & Mary senior Connor Burchfield proved what many Tribe fans have known for a long time: The best three-point shooter in America resides in Williamsburg.
Burchfield won the Great Clips Men’s 3-Point Championship at the 30th annual State Farm College Slam Dunk and 3-Point Championships and added the Samsung Straight Talk Battle of the Champions crown for good measure. The event featuring 24 of the nation’s top college basketball players entertained a sold out crowd at Bill Greehey Arena in San Antonio and was broadcast live on ESPN2.
Burchfield put up 22 and 21 points in the first and semifinal rounds, respectively, to earn a spot opposite Murray State’s Jonathan Stark in the finals. The Concord, N.C., native put the pressure on with another score of 21, hitting nine of his final 11 shots, including both money balls. Stark could only muster 14, and Burchfield celebrated the championship, receiving a golden ball trophy for his efforts.
Michigan’s Katelynn Flaherty won the Marine’s Women’s 3-Point Championship with scores of 26 in the semifinals and 25 in the finals.
In the Battle of the Champions, Burchfield once again led off with an 18. Flaherty could only post 14, and the Tribe senior walked away with a golden rim trophy in winning the Samsung Straight Talk Battle of the Champions title.
It was the first win for a men’s champion in the last three years. Over his final three rounds (men’s semifinal, men’s championship and battle of the champions), Burchfield made all 15 of his money balls.
Burchfield capped off a remarkable collegiate career in the Green and Gold with his pair of tilts, laying claim to the title – “Best Shooter in America.” He led the country in 3-point shooting this season, hitting 52 percent from long range.
Both his 2017-18 percentage and his career 3-point percentage (50.7) are not only W&M records, but Colonial Athletic Association marks as well. Burchfield started 28 of 31 games for W&M in 2017-18, averaging 12.6 points per game during his senior campaign.
He also led the country in effective field goal percentage (71.0), while ranking second in true shooting percentage (69.3) according to KenPom.com.
His 89 3-pointers in 2017-18 rank fifth on the Tribe’s single-season list, and his 179 career triples rank eighth in W&M history.
