Free Throws

[thehill1414]

We are currently shooting 67% from the line as a team, which ranks 294th in the country (out of 351 D1 teams). Take Macon's free throws out, and we are shooting just under 62% as a team, or 349th in the country. Take Macon and Beard out and we are at 59%, which is dead last.

I know our defense needs work, and our movement on offense. There is something to this though. As good as we are on offense and at shooting the basketball, we should be in the top 1/3 of the NCAA at free throw percentage without question.

Any theories as to why this is happening? I feel like this should be a very correctable problem that is costing us several points per game.

[Razorback2010]

Idk, but I'm convinced we would be a few more games in the win column if we were even an average free throw shooting team.

[labb]

We as a team are not good shooters. Macon and Barford are but after that we are not very good. Guess you could throw Gafford in there for a high percentage but that is all on dunks. Jones probably is a good free throw shooter but he will not get to the line very  much

[RagingHawgOn]

There is no excuse for poor free throw shooting. The only solution is shoot more - every single day - until it becomes routine.  And, coaches should require that.

[labb]

There is no excuse for poor free throw shooting. The only solution is shoot more - every single day - until it becomes routine.  And, coaches should require that.

You really think they don't shoot free throws ever practice?

[BannerMountainMan]

Take Gafford out and we sky rocket

[The_Iceman]

You also don't gave Dusty Hannahs shooting 119 free throws this year either. Moses Kingsley was a 76% shooter, which is pretty good for a Center.

[RagingHawgOn]

You really think they don't shoot free throws ever practice?

Did I say that?

[hogsanity]

There is no excuse for poor free throw shooting. The only solution is shoot more - every single day - until it becomes routine.  And, coaches should require that.

I see so much poor ft shooting in school ball it is no wonder when kids get to college they can't shoot them. I saw a kid in a varsity game earlier this season airball 4 out of 6 ft attempts. Was a starter and played almost the entire game. Probably scored 10-12, but his ft form was simply horrid.

[99toLife]

I see so much poor ft shooting in school ball it is no wonder when kids get to college they can't shoot them. I saw a kid in a varsity game earlier this season airball 4 out of 6 ft attempts. Was a starter and played almost the entire game. Probably scored 10-12, but his ft form was simply horrid.

My high school BB coach ( Retired with 970 wins ) Suggested ( translation you better do it ) we show up early everyday and shoot at least a 100 free throws in the morning.  Go figure we were a great Free throw shooting team year after year.

[BassinHawg]

I wonder if Mike remembers the Undersized rims that Nolan had the University's Physical Plant build for his teams to practice free throws one???

Anyone?

[hogsanity]

My high school BB coach ( Retired with 970 wins ) Suggested ( translation you better do it ) we show up early everyday and shoot at least a 100 free throws in the morning.  Go figure we were a great Free throw shooting team year after year.

We had to shoot 50 at the end of practice, 10 each on 5 separate goals ( to make us move around ) and coach kept a chart. Player that made the most daily got a coke and weekly got a coke. To this day, 30 years later, I can walk to a spot 15 feet in front of any 10ft goal and knock down ft's all day long. No, it is not the same as doing it in the middle of a game, but it truly is all form and muscle memory. But getting that form is boring, and keeps you from shooting 3's or dunking.

[thehill1414]

If you take Gafford out we are 158th at 71%, which isn't exactly lighting it up, but it is in the top half of the country.

The big guys + Barford have got to get in there and figure it out. I think it's mental more than their technique. I like the idea of trying smaller rims at practice.

[raz1965]

Free throws can an do decide many games. I know the coaches make them practice. The only blame a coach gets for this is recruiting the kids that don't shoot them well, but what if the kid is a great baller otherwise. I believe free throw shooting should be a big part of the evaluation process. A kid that is not a good free throw shooter would have to be special in many other areas or I would not recruit that kid at a high major program. Just saying free throws are big.

[99toLife]

We had to shoot 50 at the end of practice, 10 each on 5 separate goals ( to make us move around ) and coach kept a chart. Player that made the most daily got a coke and weekly got a coke. To this day, 30 years later, I can walk to a spot 15 feet in front of any 10ft goal and knock down ft's all day long. No, it is not the same as doing it in the middle of a game, but it truly is all form and muscle memory. But getting that form is boring, and keeps you from shooting 3's or dunking.

I agree with that 100%.  And we shot free throws similar to what you experienced after practice along with the "Suggested 100 before school free throws) We had guys going from 50%+ to 75%-80%, My sophomore year 4 of our starters were 80%+ from the line. That includes a 6'-8" and a 6'-10" guy...

[labb]

We shot free throws every day. I doubt there are any teams that don't. In the summer we played games on the school grounds like 21, OUT, and a couple others that required free throw shooting. Some kids just seem to be born with the ability to shoot, some work hard and develop it, some never shoot with the correct form and follow through. Course I am old and back in the day we didn't have "Shot Dr.'s" like are available now. By far the best Free throw shooter I ever saw was Hazel Walker. and that includes Rick Berry.If you don't know who she is look her up.

[hogsanity]

Free throws can an do decide many games. I know the coaches make them practice. The only blame a coach gets for this is recruiting the kids that don't shoot them well, but what if the kid is a great baller otherwise. I believe free throw shooting should be a big part of the evaluation process. A kid that is not a good free throw shooter would have to be special in many other areas or I would not recruit that kid at a high major program. Just saying free throws are big.

There is NO REASON for a player that is very good at the rest of the game not to be a good ft shooter.

It's like golf. I played on scholarship in college. I could hit my woods ( and back then they were actually wood ) 300, fade them, draw them, chase them, off the deck, off a tee, around trees, anything I wanted. Why? Because I'd stand all day long on the range and hit bucket after bucket with them. But my short game sucked because I did not like practicing that stuff. I was terrible 60 yards and in.

[99toLife]

There is NO REASON for a player that is very good at the rest of the game not to be a good ft shooter.

It's like golf. I played on scholarship in college. I could hit my woods ( and back then they were actually wood ) 300, fade them, draw them, chase them, off the deck, off a tee, around trees, anything I wanted. Why? Because I'd stand all day long on the range and hit bucket after bucket with them. But my short game sucked because I did not like practicing that stuff. I was terrible 60 yards and in.

As I did, and yes LONG LONG days at the range.

[labb]

Some pretty good players that could not shoot free throws:
Ben Wallace   41.4 %
Wilt Chamberlain  51.1%
Shaquille O'Neal   52.7%
Deandre Howard  57.2 %
Andre Drummond 38.6 %
Just to list a few and they were all getting paid.

[nwahogfan1]

We as a team are not good shooters. Macon and Barford are but after that we are not very good. Guess you could throw Gafford in there for a high percentage but that is all on dunks. Jones probably is a good free throw shooter but he will not get to the line very  much

Usually a good shooter from the field with good form on his shot will be a  good free throw shooter.   So what this means to me is the bad free throw shooters are not good feild goal shooters past 15 feet. 

[ShadowHawg]

Gafford is the reason the team % is low. He shoots a lot of ft's.

[Arazorbackguy1]

Free Throws aren't Free!  Start a revolution.