Consider it reverse psychology.

At least that is how it feels when Auburn’s Tyler Pray removes his warmup gear to unveil a jersey, displaying the No. 3 on his back.

Even though coach Ryan Hansen selected that jersey for Pray – one that is synonymous with perimeter shooting threats – he wants his senior guard hoisting fewer basketballs from the perimeter.

“Occasionally, he kind of falls in love with his shot a little bit from the perimeter,” Hansen said. “We want him playing to his strengths, which is getting to the rim. He has a knack for getting to the basket and that’s kind of his strength. He’s a slasher type.”

Pray has not resisted the plan.

“I try to be unselfish and crash the boards,” Pray said. “Let the game come to me. Don’t force stuff. Drive hard and get fouls.”

It is an offensive philosophy that’s uncommon among shooting guards, many of whom prefer to show their prowess from beyond the arc, but it can be effective. Sarunas Marciulionis used a slashing style to build a Hall of Fame career before he combined that skill with an ability to convert 3-pointers at a stronger rate late in his career. Pray was not born when Marciulionis retired in 1997, but he is familiar with his play.

“I can relate to him a lot,” he said. “That’s most of my game.”

That does not mean Pray cannot convert the 3-pointer. Hansen just does not want it to be a staple of his game.

“We’re trying to limit his 3s, and when doing that he’s shooting a much higher percentage this year,” he said.

Pray attributes some of his development to playing for Friends of Hoop Seattle on the AAU circuit. He said he was able to play against some of the best talent on the West Coast during a summer tournament in Las Vegas.

Unlike many of those players, Pray took a respite from the sport during the fall when he played tight end for the Trojans’ football team. Despite that, Hansen said it did not take long for Pray to regain his form.

“Tyler’s having a really good year for us, and a lot of it has to do with his practice habits every day,” he said. “He practices really hard and it’s translating into games.”

Hansen said Pray plays a valuable leadership role, even on a squad with 10 seniors.

“He sets the standard with his practice habits,” he said. “Other guys kind of have to follow suit a little bit. He’s vocal and other kids respect him. He’s a third-year varsity kid for us now, and he kind of understands the expectations.”

Pray hopes that experience continues. Auburn entered the week tied for the league’s sixth – and final – playoff spot with a 4-8 record in SPSL 3A.

“It’s a really tough league,” Pray said. “There’s no slacking off. We’ve got to go hard every game.”

Regardless of the outcome, these likely will be the last basketball games Pray plays for a school. That does not mean he plans to stray too far from the sideline.

“I like being in athletics,” he said, adding that he plans to pursue a degree in athletic medicine at Washington State University. “I played so long that I want to still be around it.”