Threes may be farther flung

The NCAA Men’s Basketball Rules Committee recommended Thursday to extend the three-point line by a foot to 20 feet, nine inches -- that’s three inches longer than the international distance but still much shorter than the NBA line, which ranges from 23 feet 9 inches to 22 feet.

The change still must be approved by the Playing Rules Oversight Panel during its May 25 meeting. If passed, the three-point line will be moved back for the 2008-09 season -- the first significant change to the three-point rule since it was adopted more than 20 years ago.

“Since the three-point line was implemented, the game has changed,” said Larry Keating, rules committee chair. “The student-athletes playing are bigger and stronger and we need to adjust for that.”

UCLA Coach Ben Howland predicted the change would increase the use of zone defenses and slightly reduce attempts, adding, “I’m a little miffed at adding three inches on top of the international line.”

Pepperdine was sixth in the nation last season in three-pointers made at 9.8 per game, and Coach Vance Walberg said he won’t be changing philosophy.

“Honestly I don’t see it affecting the game that much,” he said. “If you went to the NBA line, that would be different. This might affect the percentages, but not that much. What it will affect is the way teams space themselves on offense.”

And that, Howland said, might bring back the mid-range jump shot. “Hopefully this will increase emphasis on the middle game,” he said. “Right now it’s just threes and layups.”

The Women’s Basketball Rules Committee, which met concurrently with the men’s committee in Indianapolis May 1-3, will maintain the current three-point line, which is 19 feet 9 inches.

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Recently hired Long Beach State Coach Dan Monson completed his coaching staff Thursday when he announced Vic Couch, Eric Brown and Rod Palmer as his assistants.

Couch served on Monson’s staff for seven seasons at Minnesota. Brown has been an assistant coach the last eight years at Iowa State, USC and Cal State Northridge. Palmer has coached Compton Centennial High for the last nine years. He led Centennial to the 2004 California Division III state championship and coached such players as Arron Afflalo and Gabe Pruitt.

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The NCAA announced Thursday that it erred a day earlier when it reported that the Cal State Northridge men’s basketball team would be penalized as part of the Division I Academic Performance Program.

It was the school’s baseball program that was penalized, receiving a public warning for having a three-year Academic Progress Rate below 900.

peter.yoon@latimes.com