For the life of me I cannot figure out...

[TopDawg]

how someone can be good enough to play D-1 basketball but cannot hit 6 out of 10 free throws.

[IronSooner]

Ask Illinois...until tonight they were fighting for first place in the Big 10 and ranked in the top 10 nationally, yet are I believe 11th in the Big 10 in freethrows. Tonight it cost them big.

It seems like that'd be the first thing you work on and the last thing you do before you leave the gym. Then again I played 1 year, so what do I know.

[OUGreg723]

Free throw shooting is completely different from shooting a regular shot. It is easier said that done. Sometimes you just have a flat night. That's how bball is. It cost Kansas the NC game a couple years back too.

[TopDawg]

I understand that free throws are different from regular shots. Like, for instance, nobody's guarding you on a free throw. ;)

I can kinda understand how it can happen on any given night. Taking a bad night into consideration, I lowered my original post from 7 out of 10 to 6 out of 10. Still. College players should be able to make 6 out of 10 free throws.

[Jay C. Upchurch]

Ask Shaq

[TopDawg]

If Shaq has ever helped anybody understand anything, that person was in sad shape to begin with.

[Stoop Dawg]

I understand that free throws are different from regular shots. Like, for instance, nobody's guarding you on a free throw. ;)

Don't forget the added pressure of it always being from the same spot on the floor! And, you only get 10 seconds to get the shot off!

[Paperclip]

Why don't guys just dribble and take a jump shot? As long as you're in that half circle it's kosher, right?

[Boomer.....]

How can Austin Johnson be shooting 58% from the FT line. He is second last on the team only to Longar. These little guys are supposed to be automatic.

[Rock Hard Corn Frog]

It's real simple. Practice. You may not ever be an 85% foul shooter but even a bad foul shooter can get to 65-70% with enough practice. Free Throws are BORING to practice but if you want to be real good you better shoot at least 50-100 per day. If you are bad, more than that.

If you are good enough in other areas you can certainly make a DI team even being a bad foul shooter but you are a liability in a close game.

I'm not worried about Austin Johnson. I don't think he has taken many FT. His % is likely to rise with more shots. Even Longar is decent compared to where Johnny Gilbert was early in his career.

[NickZeppelin]

Free throws are just a mental thing. For whatever reason most big men are bad free throw shooters. I think big men are bad at shooting free throws usually because they are used to being strong. And shooting free throws you have to kinda control that and be kinda weaker. There are a few bigmen that can hit free throws but not a lot. But some guards can't hit a free throw to save their life too. Doug Gottleib couldn't shoot period.

[Rock Hard Corn Frog]

I was/am a big guy (6' 8") and while I didn't play college basketball I can tell from my experience that I was about a 50% Ft shooter as a fresh/soph and was about 70-75% by my junior/senior years and the difference was entirely shooting thousands of free throws. My size might have worked against me a little (it sure does make my golf swing inconsistant) but I could have practiced even more.

[TopDawg]

Why don't guys just dribble and take a jump shot? As long as you're in that half circle it's kosher, right?

I think it's a macho thing. But if one person started, it might become a trend.

Big men probably have a tougher time of it because they're not used to shooting jump shots. Using the legs is an important part of a free throw.

[Stoop Dawg]

Using the legs is an important part of a free throw.

Which is why endurance is critical to hitting foul shots down the stretch.

I can cut the guys with huge hands a little more slack than a guard. Imagine trying to shoot a tennis ball. Not quite as easy.

[tnraider1]

Which is why endurance is critical to hitting foul shots down the stretch.

I can cut the guys with huge hands a little more slack than a guard. Imagine trying to shoot a tennis ball. Not quite as easy.


You know what they say about guys with big hands???

They wear big gloves...;)

[Boomer.....]

^^^ and they have big feet! :D

[Collier11]

Not that Im a D1 basketball player or anything, but my senior yr of hs, I shot 58% from the field and like 56% from free throw line, its just a whole nother monster

[Collier11]

Also, look at doug gottlieb, honest to God that guy was like a 80 or 90% free throw shooter in HS and look at him in college. Its just a mental thing

[Rock Hard Corn Frog]

Also, look at doug gottlieb, honest to God that guy was like a 80 or 90% free throw shooter in HS and look at him in college. Its just a mental thing


It's true and some players can handle the pressure of shooting in a game situation better than others. I've seen some 60% FT shooters that were automatic when they counted most and seen 85% shooters all but p1ss down their leg in crunch time (see Moody, KU against MU).

[CtheB]

Also, look at doug gottlieb, honest to God that guy was like a 80 or 90% free throw shooter in HS and look at him in college. Its just a mental thing

Dude, Gottlieb hasn't been 90% of anything his whole life except dumba$$.

[NickZeppelin]

Part of Gotleib's problem was that he had an injury I think when he was at Notre Damned. He was never the same after that.

[Rock Hard Corn Frog]

Part of Gotleib's problem was that he had an injury I think when he was at Notre Damned. He was never the same after that.

Yeah, he sprained his check writing hand and had to rely on credit cards. :D

[stoopified]

Also, look at doug gottlieb, honest to God that guy was like a 80 or 90% free throw shooter in HS and look at him in college. Its just a mental thingDoug was too busy planning his next burglary to concentrate on any kind of shooting.