Are all those 3-point shot attempts worth it? How about a solid 2 every now and then.

Thinking out loud … while wondering if I’ve reached the age where looking in the mirror is like checking the news? There will always be new developments I won’t like …

The mid-range jump shot is dying in basketball. You’re lucky to see a 15- or 16-foot jumper taken three or four times per game. It’s either inside right at the rim, or outside from behind the stripe.

So much emphasis is put on shooting the 3 in the game — probably because you get that third point, amiright?

But is that extra point really worth the effort put into creating those difficult shots when the middle might be open?

That’s the way Providence College wants to play. The Friars simply need better shooters to play that “outside-in” game. It’s the way Creighton plays — even though its best player, shooting guard Trey Alexander, is particularly adept at the "elbow-jumper" from 15 feet away.

More: Here's why next season starts now for Providence basketball coach Kim English

More: Even more RI connections to this year's NCAA men's and women's tournaments

Much of UConn’s success during last year’s title run came by way of the mid-range jumper because defenses were keyed to taking away the 3. You’ve heard coaches say, “We need to make the other guys take tough 2s?” Sure they do.

But the truly elite teams recognize they need to also take — and make — those tough 2s in order to win. A team that can score in multiple ways — and not just shoot 40% (or worse) from 3-point distance — puts added pressure on the athletic defensive teams seen in today’s game.

Putting this in Easter parlance: don’t put your eggs all in one basket if you want to win big.

∎Let’s go portaling: To the surprise of few, PC’s Rafael Castro, Garwey Dual and Donovan Santoro are all considering other options. Realistically, players want to play. And that opportunity has dwindled for them at Providence, considering Kim English now knows what he needs to do to build his program into a team that can be competitive in the Big East every year.

Every year, coaches recruit. Over the next year or two thereafter, they re-recruit. It’s the name of the game today.

∎UConn, Marquette, and Creighton sweeping through to the Sweet 16 is great but was semi-expected with their seeding. Now get these three into the Elite Eight or Final Four, and the league can rightfully boast of its strength.

∎And Seton Hall is in the NIT Final Four, body-slamming a Mountain West team (UNLV) in the quarterfinals.

The SEC and Mountain West? Not so much overall strength. But kudos to those teams for scheduling in the nonleague season to maximize their predictive metrics. And making the Selection Committee appear to be nothing more than fawning fan boys over their teams.

∎The ProJo’s Bill Koch tweeted/posted something last week that blew me away: a graphic from ESPN that showed Cumberland’s Tyler Kolek compared to Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson as the only three players in tournament history to score at least 18 points, grab 11 rebounds and dish at least five assists in multiple NCAA games. Whoa.

∎X post of the Week I. from @ByPatForde: “After three great days, I’d say this: anyone who wants to mess with the NCAA Tournament and add teams should be deported.”

Expansion? At the risk of deportation, it’s inevitable, even if no one wants it. But the sheer number of Division I schools playing the sport — presently numbering 362 — has grown by about 80 schools since the last time the tourney expanded 13 years ago. The last expansion before that? 1985.

∎Former Friar assistant, St. John’s, Manhattan, and New Mexico head coach Fran Fraschilla has the most plausible idea. “72 teams in the NCAA field. All 32 automatic qualifiers are seeded into the field. The top 24 at-large teams are seeded into the field. Then, the remaining 16 at-large teams play in the First Eight in Dayton. Four games each day instead of two. Nothing else changes.”

If this keeps the mega-conferences at bay (for now), be proactive. Fight for what’s important — keeping the mid-to-low major teams involved, and with a shot to win. David always needs a stone in his slingshot to take down Goliath.

∎What should the NCAA selection committee consider for next year’s tourney? Common sense by watching games, not charts. Wins against tournament teams. Transparency with the media, the public and coaching staffs on any metrics used in determining tourney-worthy teams. And above all — consistency in applying those metrics to ALL programs regardless of conference.

Which, truthfully, doesn’t happen, despite what’s been said.

∎X post of the Week II, from @_RobAnderson: “Only five Division I men’s basketball teams have won an NCAA Tournament game each of the last four seasons. Baylor, Creighton, Gonzaga, Houston, Kansas.”

∎NCAA hockey at the AMP this weekend — with top-ranked BC in the mix — should be fun. A rooting interest, perhaps. And a good test run for March Madness and NCAA basketball’s return to Providence next year at this time.

∎With record numbers of college wagers out in the populace these days, and athletes/schools beginning to raise suspicions in a few cases, NCAA Grand Poobah Charlie Baker has finally decided to step up. Sort of.

Baker is encouraging/lobbying states to ban prop bets involving college athletes and teams. In other words, he’s saying "pretty please," instead of "Do it. Now."

∎It’s very hard to rationalize Shohei Ohtani NOT knowing anything about his guy, his handler, his interpreter being a serious gambler. I mean, the guy (Ippei Mizuhara) was with him everywhere he went. Baseball would certainly like to bury this story but I get the feeling it’ll be more like a zombie apocalypse and keep coming back.

Free Pete Rose. Just sayin’.

∎I cannot remember a season, certainly in recent memory, that has been as unanticipated prior to its start as this Red Sox season. Is it because we know what’s going to happen months before it actually happens?

Did we sink this low this quickly because of John Henry’s tighter purse strings, or Chaim Bloom/Brian O’Halloran/Craig Breslow’s abilities as team builders?

More: Take a Look: Red Sox open season with 6-4 win at Seattle

Which brings to mind an adage once told to me by Channel 12’s Walter Cryan back in the ‘80’s: “Hope springs eternal. Unless you’re a Red Sox fan.”

∎My buddy “Big E” sez it must be time to increase his medication. He read this column last week and I sounded reasonable.

∎Can we give new Patriots’ coach Jerod Mayo a break? Some media-types and fans butchered Bill Belichick for not saying anything of substance for 24 years, and now that Mayo is "burning up" to engage — with the often-ugly media and often-unknowing fans – some are now killing him for saying too much.

Worst part of this? It’s pretty much the same “some.”

∎At the NFL owners’ meetings last week, a revamping of kickoffs was approved, with no surprises. Oh, it’ll be a surprise when you see it next season, sure. It will mirror what was done in the XFL (if you saw it) last year.

But now you’ll need to inform the officials of your intent for an onside kickoff BEFORE you kick it. Which means the opponent will know it’s coming, too. Wait, wut?

∎The hip drop tackle was also banned, unanimously, by the ownership competition committee. Can’t grab a guy around the waist and drop to the turf any longer.

Not for nuthin’, but this ought to be a beauty of a call to officiate next season. Yeah, let’s put more subjective stuff out there for officiating crews to deal with, good idea.

In case you couldn’t tell, that was sarcasm.

∎Also at the owners’ meetings, Robert Kraft said he was disappointed that the “Dynasty” documentary focused on so much negativity. Mr. Kraft, if nothing else, knows his constituents. But this appeared to be a Kraft-approved and produced doc. I mean, the copyright at the end of the credits was “Kraft Dynasty, LLC.”

∎The NFL’s stated goal of conquering the world continues, as the Patriots have been assigned a new foreign territory to lord over — Brazil. So when’s the trip to Rio or Sao Paulo, and will I need a waxing before departure?

∎Remember when the death-knell sounded for Sports Illustrated a couple of months ago? New owners have since bought the rights to the vaunted magazine, which is good for traditionalists and talented writers and editors, absolutely. Then, the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani showed up on the cover. So the jinx still lives.

∎There will be a stretch next Christmas season with NFL games on TV for nine days out of 10 — including on a Wednesday, which is Christmas Day next year. The NBA sez it will also keep its’ Christmas Day TV tradition. When will we open the presents?

∎Thought I’d try watching the Celtics last week, going through some hoop withdrawal after last weekend’s viewing marathon. Watched them blow a 30-point lead at Atlanta, the largest blown lead in the NBA by any team in nearly 30 years. And by a team with the league’s best record. Don’t feel like I’ve missed anything.

∎Not blowing leads of any kind lately, the ABA’s Providence Pirates are into the East Region Final Four of their tournament and face Coney Island next on April 6. Two more wins and onto the ABA Final Four in Alabama April 19-21.

∎Tim in Sarasota, FL writes this week: “JR, it’s been 4 years and the construction of the Notre Dame Cathedral (in France) is almost complete. I’m guessing that 4 years from now they will still be working on the Washington Bridge project and, the workers will be getting take-out from the Capital Grill.”

Tim, for someone currently living in Florida, you certainly maintain that quality-of-all-qualities that makes Rhode Islanders unique — pessimism. Or is that sarcasm? I can never tell.

Interested in having your questions on Rhode Island sports (and yes, that includes the Patriots, Red Sox, Bruins, and Celtics) answered in a somewhat timely fashion? Think out loud and send your questions, comments, and local stories to jrbroadcaster@gmail.com. We’ll share mailbag comments/Facebook posts/threads right here! Join me on Twitter/X, @JRbroadcaster…on Facebook, www.facebook.com/john.rooke, and on Instagram and Threads @JRbroadcaster.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Too many teams live and die by the 3-point shot. How about more 2s?