K.J. Matsui is a perfectionist.

With a basketball in his hands and a target to shoot for, he possesses a single-minded focus, a mission that's essential to his role as a long-range shooting specialist.

Game after game, the Tokyo native is one of the best 3-point shooters in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I.

When Matsui takes a long-range shot, his coach, Columbia University's Joe Jones, expects it to produce three points.

There are 341 Division I teams in the NCAA. By this writer's conservative estimate, there are at least six players per team with a better-than-average ability to shoot 3-point shots; that number equals an estimated 2,046 players.

Matsui, whose given first name is Keijuro, is the second-best 3-point shooter in the NCAA Division I.

Through Feb. 10, Matsui had made 44 of 82 3-points shots (53.7 percent), and drained three on nine occasions, including a 6-for-11 effort against Villanova on Dec. 22. He trails only University of Illinois-Chicago junior guard Josh Mayo, who is No. 1 at 54.5 percent (73-for-134).

Matsui, a junior guard, takes great pride in his craft. And he knows what it takes to be successful — but this took time, of course, and countless hours on the court.

"Because I wanted to become a great shooter, I just kept practicing shooting a lot," Matsui said from New York City in a recent interview. "I love the feeling when my shot goes in.

"Because of that feeling, I decided to become a shooter. The reason why I am a good shooter is that I think I have a good (shooting) form because my father told me the basics. Then coaches in high school and Columbia also gave me some tips to help shoot well consistently."

This knowledge and dedication coupled with a persistent inquisitive nature has paid dividends for Matsui.

"So I really focus on my shooting form," he says, "and when I miss shots, I have to find out why it didn't go in."

Focus on that last phrase — "I have to find out why it didn't go in" — for a minute. It brilliantly summarizes Matsui's never-ending commitment to success as a shooter.

"When you do that and focus on shooting the same way and making shots, then you can become a good shooter," Matsui said. "But most importantly you need to have good form and get many shots up in practice."

Matsui understands what it takes to be a successful player. And then he succeeds.

Sounds simple, eh? It isn't.

Matsui just makes it look easy.

Case in point: Matsui drained three 3-pointers in a three-minute span in the first half of Columbia's Feb. 8 game against the University of Pennsylvania, an Ivy League foe.

Matsui's rapid-fire offense helped the Lions, who led from start to finish, take control of the game, which they won 74-58.

"He's just a great pure shooter," Jones said, praising the junior's overall understanding of the process.

Jones described Matsui's shooting mechanics as "great," adding that the Japanese's footwork, how he holds the ball when he shoots it and when he releases it all work in sync to create a fluid shooting rhythm.

"All of those things you need to be a successful jump shooter," the coach added.

Columbia is a prestigious academic institution (enrollment: 5,621; established in 1754) that attracts top-notch student-athletes.

Matsui, for one, received his fair share of recognition while attending Montrose Christian Academy in Maryland, being enticed with recruiting offers from Princeton, Michigan, North Carolina, among others.

Matsui, an economics major, eventually decided NYC's Manhattan borough was the place he wanted to attend college. And when he signed on the dotted line, he became Japan's first Division I college basketball player.

He understands the significance of this.

"I love to do the media thing because I can set a good example for the younger kids in Japan," Matsui said in a video interview posted on YouTube.

His message?

"(You can) use basketball to be a tool to become a good educational person and be a successful guy."

But is it a tough job to be a role model for an entire generation of youngsters?

"I do not feel pressure at all," Matsui told The Japan Times.

" . . . Anybody can work hard and be able to play in the NCAA or at the top level in high school. I am also just trying to get better as a player and do the right thing all the time for myself and that's what I learned in my life."

Coach Jones expressed pride in Matsui for his trail-blazing college career. He called it "a huge story" in Matsui's native country, but said he has "handled it very well."

"He's had a lot of publicity in his three years here," the coach noted.

Matsui's good friend, University of Portland (Ore.) sophomore point guard Taishi Ito, who also attended Montrose Christian, is Japan's other D-I college player.

Several others are playing for D-II and small universities and colleges.

Matsui and Ito, who starred in the same Montrose backcourt for three seasons, have never competed against each other at the collegiate level.

Matsui hopes it happens.

"It would be great if we can play against each other before I graduate," said Matsui, who regularly monitors Ito's statistics on the Internet. "Even though we don't play the same position, I will definitely be matched up against him if we will play."

The Lions, who are 10-11 overall and 3-3 against Ivy League foes before Friday's game against Dartmouth University, wrap up their regular season with a March 8 contest against Penn in Philadelphia.

Matsui has started seven of the 17 games he has played in. He is Columbia's second-leading scorer (8.9 points per game), but he's not a one-dimensional player.

Matsui's overall basketball acumen has improved significantly since his sophomore season, according to Jones.

"He's progressing really nicely" were the words Jones used to describe Matsui's development.

Jones added: "He's a big part of what we are doing right now.

"He's a much tougher defender, he's a much better playmaker and not just a great shooter," the coach said.

Day after day, Jones has many reasons to smile when he reflects on the three seasons he's spent as Matsui's chief hoop mentor.

"K.J. is a pleasure to coach," Jones said. "He's the kind of player who listens to the coaching staff."

Matsui has one more season to play at the D-I level. In the meantime, he's been thinking about his future in the game and a possible return to Japan.

"Yes I definitely want to keep playing after school," said Matsui, who lists retired legend Michael Jordan, Orlando Magic guard J.J. Redick and Boston Celtics standout Ray Allen as his basketball role models. "I consider the JBL as the best place to play right now.

"I don't know much about the bj-league and I know that the JBL is better competition, and also I know many players and coaches (in the) JBL."

Matsui should also know that his fondest childhood memories on the basketball court will remain in the back roads of his mind, but still serve as a constant reminder of the player he's become since he was 10.

At that time, Matsui was selected by Nike to play a one-on-one game against His Airness during the shoe giant's promotional tour in Japan. Charles Barkley, Jason Kidd, Michael Finley and Damon Stoudamire also participated in the tour.

This much is certain: MJ vs. K.J. was a photographer's dream assignment.

In a timeless photo, Stars and Stripes, a U.S. military newspaper, brilliantly captured the September 1996 event in Yokohama, showing the look of determination in the youngster's eyes as he held the ball while the Bulls superstar defends him.

"It was real quick," Matsui told The Washington Post in a 2004 interview. "He let me win, 5-2."

In reality, K.J. Matsui has retained that winning touch, and he keeps shooting for perfection.