FT% for Top 10 Teams ...

B

Barton Hills

1,000+ Posts
Just thought I'd take a look following our 9-22 last night. My gripe all along is that our shooting from the stripe will cost us on the road, and in post-season play.

#1 Texas .624
#2 Kentucky .686
#3 Kansas .705
#4 Nova .758
#5 Syracuse .645
#6 Michigan St .686
#7 Duke .775
#8 Tennessee .673
#9 Pittsburgh .684
#10 Kansas St .661

So we're pretty easily in last place, I think the thing that stands out is that we really don't have a starter who can be considered "reliable" in a clutch situation. James is the best of our starting five at 69%.

James 69%
Pittman 53%
Mason 58%
Bradley 44%
Balbay 48%
 
If you look at stats its quite painful. Much easier to just hope to glance up and catch one of them going in and think that thats the norm. This is why stats are overrated. Looking at those numbers, you'd think we suck at free throws. In reality, we suck at layups AND free throws.
 
I was surprised to see that 7 of the top 10 are below 70%.
I read a story a few years ago about how kids don't like to practice free throw shooting because it isn't flashy enough.
 
While we are last and our free throw shooting is admittedly embarrassingly bad, I don't think it is fair to say we are easily in last place. Take out Monday's game, and I bet we are higher than a couple of the other teams. And is it really as big of a concern/factor as we fans are making it out to be.

I don't know how many free throws we average (I'm too lazy to look it up), assuming the 22 free throws we took Monday night, the difference between our average and Duke's average (the highest in the Top 10), is less than 3.5 points.

While I don't want to start a game by giving up 3.5 points (especially as we get into the tournament and games are closer), I'm not sure it justifies as much extra practice time as many people are screaming for. Maybe extra practice on the defensive end or offensive sets actually has a higher return on investment than extra free throw practice would.

Don't get me wrong, I cringe ever time we step to the line, but maybe some of our other issues are an even higher priority?
 
"I don't know how many free throws we average (I'm too lazy to look it up), assuming the 22 free throws we took Monday night, the difference between our average and Duke's average (the highest in the Top 10), is less than 3.5 points.

While I don't want to start a game by giving up 3.5 points (especially as we get into the tournament and games are closer), I'm not sure it justifies as much extra practice time as many people are screaming for."

Looking at our ft% prior to last night the Horns were 63.4%. So it wasn't very good prior to last night. It's not just the %, the Horns have had 492 ft attempts and made only 307. By contrast, looking at Duke's bball website, they have only shot 386 fthrows, but made 299 fthrows. The Horns have had over 100 more fthrow attempts. You might think the average would drop once Duke shoots 100 more fthrows, but of their top starters playing any real minutes, only 2 players shoot less than 70%. The top 3 shooters in Scheyer, Smith and Singler are 90.5%, 80.6%, and 76.7%, respectively. That's crucial down the stretch in tight games and come tournament time comes in March.
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I think it's worth spending more time shooting fthrows. Coach K always stresses this and his teams are consistently good free throw shooters.
 
Free throws need not be practiced during organized practice time. This is the time for the "leaders"? to organize some no bull **** free throw practices.
 
I tell you what, if i was shooting 44% from the line and I wanted to have a shot at the next level you better believe i would be practicing them as much as possible. For a big man that can do 20/10 in points and rebounds a night FTs might not be as important, but an undersized NBA guard better be able to hit a good percentage. I suppose they can always practice later in some obscure European league
 
this is so crazy to me. after, literally, 6 years of not touching a bball(life, knee injury, other interests, etc) I found myself in the gym the other night with 20 minutes to spare before I had to go anywhere. not wanting to swim, I went to the almost empty hoops court and tried to remember how to dribble. after 10 minutes of shooting various shots high of the backboard - nowhere close to iron, airballs, and horrendous bricks, I went to the free throw line.

14 of 20.

now, um, I can barely jump. I have no acceleration left on my dribble. and my competitive hoops career consisted of being the 5th guy off the bench in junior high who mainly got into the game to foul. I love our team and I expect great things in the tournament no matter our FT% but, WHAT GIVES?

on the bright side, I have 4 years of ncaa eligibility left...
 
It is really bad right now. Everybody knew it early on and it has gotten worse. Missing FTs at this rate and especially down the stretch of a close game will cost this team 2-3 more games this season, and likely, ultimately their last game of the season.

But I like to look at things on the bright side. This is a great opportunity for the team to regroup and refocus on this area of their game. Barnes needs to consider bringing in a consultant. But whatever action he chooses it needs to be immediate and sustained throughout the season and postseason. If this team can get their FT% up even 10% that would be huge right now.

Pittman and Balbay I can understand. I have no idea why Mason and Bradley are shooting so poorly. I also have no idea why Mason is a starter but that is another story all together.
 
I dont know if Ive ever seen a team at the college level where the two starting guards were both shooting under 50% from the line mid way through the season. That is pathetic.
 
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