Jump to content

Free Throw Woes


Recommended Posts

Our struggles at the free throw line this season made me wonder if this is an anomaly, or if maybe SLU is just a tough place for FTs.

This season we are shooting 57% and ranked 349th in the NCAA
2018-19 - 59.8% and 350th
2017-18 - 65.2% and 335th
2016-17 - 66.3% and 292nd
2015-16 - 70.3% and 152nd
2014-15 - 65.5% and 293rd
2013-14 - 69.7% and 177th
2012-13 - 70.4% and 141st
2011-12 - 72.0% and 78th
2010-11 - 65.6% and 274th

Take from that information what you will, but outside of the 11-12 season we've been pretty average (at best) at free throws. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 122
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

1 hour ago, St. Lunatic said:

Our struggles at the free throw line this season made me wonder if this is an anomaly, or if maybe SLU is just a tough place for FTs.

This season we are shooting 57% and ranked 349th in the NCAA
2018-19 - 59.8% and 350th
2017-18 - 65.2% and 335th
2016-17 - 66.3% and 292nd
2015-16 - 70.3% and 152nd
2014-15 - 65.5% and 293rd
2013-14 - 69.7% and 177th
2012-13 - 70.4% and 141st
2011-12 - 72.0% and 78th
2010-11 - 65.6% and 274th

Take from that information what you will, but outside of the 11-12 season we've been pretty average (at best) at free throws. 

Perhaps it’s a calculated risk by coaches at “smaller programs”? Thats my only galaxy brained theory.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, St. Lunatic said:

Our struggles at the free throw line this season made me wonder if this is an anomaly, or if maybe SLU is just a tough place for FTs.

This season we are shooting 57% and ranked 349th in the NCAA
2018-19 - 59.8% and 350th
2017-18 - 65.2% and 335th
2016-17 - 66.3% and 292nd
2015-16 - 70.3% and 152nd
2014-15 - 65.5% and 293rd
2013-14 - 69.7% and 177th
2012-13 - 70.4% and 141st
2011-12 - 72.0% and 78th
2010-11 - 65.6% and 274th

Take from that information what you will, but outside of the 11-12 season we've been pretty average (at best) at free throws. 

Don't think there's much to it except we haven't had good FT shooters generally. Just taking a look at who shot the most FT on the team and if they are good FT shooters will tell the story:

17-20-  French & Goodwin shooting a lot of FT (really bad FT shooters)

16-17 - Agbeko Crawford shooting a lot (bad)

15-16 - Reynolds Bishop shooting a lot (average)

14-15 - Yacoubou Yarbourouh shooting a lot (bad)

13-14 - Jett (ok) Evans (good) shooting a lot

12-13 - Evans Mitchell (good) Jett (ok)  shooting a lot of FT - average

11-12 - Conklin Ellis shooting a lot of FT - Conklin the most by far at 80% and Ellis at 78% - good

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

One main reason we haven't been good at free throws is that we haven't been good at shooting in general. We've been a below-average 3-point shooting team every year except 2011-2012. We've been a below average 2-point shooting team the past 6 seasons.

Clock_Tower likes this
Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 hours ago, glazedandconfused said:

Don't think there's much to it except we haven't had good FT shooters generally. Just taking a look at who shot the most FT on the team and if they are good FT shooters will tell the story:

17-20-  French & Goodwin shooting a lot of FT (really bad FT shooters)

13-14 - Jett (ok) Evans (good) shooting a lot

12-13 - Evans Mitchell (good) Jett (ok)  shooting a lot of FT - average

French should take a page from Evans' book and learn how to bait the lane violation. It would give him an extra chance every free throw.

(suggestion not to be taken seriously. French should absolutely not try to complicate his free throw mechanics even more)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I mentioned this in the GW GDT, I paid close attention to French shoot his FTs. I'm no shooting coach, but it appears he pushes the ball at the basket with his arm fully extended after the ball leaves his hand. To me that's forcing the ball. Good FT shooters shoot them like a flat footed jump shot. Arm cocked at the elbow and let the wrists take over with very little forward movement of the forearm. Now, I can't believe Travis is teaching him to shoot it using his arm only. His shot form looks more like a pass than a shot. I also think he's got a serious mental block when it comes to FT's. When you're so bad it, you actually become afraid to shoot it. It's like those infielders that suddenly can't make the throw from second to first. I remember that Yankee second baseman, can't remember his name, who suffered through that. He became frightened of making what was a throw he made easily all his life, then suddenly he makes a couple of bad ones and it messes with his mind. All the muscle memory goes right out the window, and he's overthinking it.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 minutes ago, slu72 said:

I mentioned this in the GW GDT, I paid close attention to French shoot his FTs. I'm no shooting coach, but it appears he pushes the ball at the basket with his arm fully extended after the ball leaves his hand. To me that's forcing the ball. Good FT shooters shoot them like a flat footed jump shot. Arm cocked at the elbow and let the wrists take over with very little forward movement of the forearm. Now, I can't believe Travis is teaching him to shoot it using his arm only. His shot form looks more like a pass than a shot. I also think he's got a serious mental block when it comes to FT's. When you're so bad it, you actually become afraid to shoot it. It's like those infielders that suddenly can't make the throw from second to first. I remember that Yankee second baseman, can't remember his name, who suffered through that. He became frightened of making what was a throw he made easily all his life, then suddenly he makes a couple of bad ones and it messes with his mind. All the muscle memory goes right out the window, and he's overthinking it.  

I have been saying all year that he has been pushing the ball. If we are correct why can't the coaches see this and try to correct? As others have suggested why can't we bring in a Drew Hanlon to work with him? If this is some type of NCAA violation during the season get it done in the summer. 

billiken_roy likes this
Link to comment
Share on other sites

My latest theory on French is that he should be shooting right-handed, not left-handed. There is some precedent for this happening to lefty big men before (Tristan Thompson). Hasahn finishes and handles very well with high right hand as well. Probably sounds ridiculous but I think I've talked myself into actually believing it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

29 minutes ago, willie said:

I have been saying all year that he has been pushing the ball. If we are correct why can't the coaches see this and try to correct? As others have suggested why can't we bring in a Drew Hanlon to work with him? If this is some type of NCAA violation during the season get it done in the summer. 

Not only does he push it. If he let go with his off hand he'd drop the ball if he didn't squeeze it. I agree with you on a shooting coach. The fact that he can't be taught to shoot them at 60% really confuses me. There's a part of me that says, give me an hour a day 3-4 days a week for 6 weeks and he'll shoot 60% or better I guarantee it. Then I think, hell, he's got Travis Ford teaching him ... wtf could I do. I've never had a kid, boy or girl, over the age of 13 that I worked with privately that couldn't shoot 60%+. His form is just so messed up and bad, I don't get it. I would make him start by shooting 1 handed. It will at least make him begin his shot holding the ball close to properly. It would at least correct a couple of the issues he now has. I think he could shoot 50% 1 handed if taught properly. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don’t even worry about Free throws with French anymore. I just assume he is going to miss them. If they go in it’s a bonus.

I just don’t know what can be done at this point. What I do know is that as conference play goes on We are going to see more and more “hack-a-Shaq.” (Foul-a-French) 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, slufanskip said:

Not only does he push it. If he let go with his off hand he'd drop the ball if he didn't squeeze it. I agree with you on a shooting coach. The fact that he can't be taught to shoot them at 60% really confuses me. There's a part of me that says, give me an hour a day 3-4 days a week for 6 weeks and he'll shoot 60% or better I guarantee it. Then I think, hell, he's got Travis Ford teaching him ... wtf could I do. I've never had a kid, boy or girl, over the age of 13 that I worked with privately that couldn't shoot 60%+. His form is just so messed up and bad, I don't get it. I would make him start by shooting 1 handed. It will at least make him begin his shot holding the ball close to properly. It would at least correct a couple of the issues he now has. I think he could shoot 50% 1 handed if taught properly. 

There are literally scores of D-1 players shooting under 60%.  Some of them even move onto the NBA.  I don't think years and years of horrendous free throw shooting is as easy to correct as you think it is.  What you really need is a time machine to visit the 13 year old version of Has before all the trouble started.  

billiken_roy and slufanskip like this
Link to comment
Share on other sites

We need to set him up on a date with Myia Clark of the Women's team.  I think I read that she has now made 35 FTs in a row.  They could start the date with an hour or two in the gym practicing FTs.  Hopefully she would rub off on him (no, not is an S3 way) and not him on her.  😉

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, willie said:

I have been saying all year that he has been pushing the ball. If we are correct why can't the coaches see this and try to correct? As others have suggested why can't we bring in a Drew Hanlon to work with him? If this is some type of NCAA violation during the season get it done in the summer. 

totally agree willie.  i have more or less been saying the same for two years.   i dont care what anyone says, there is no reason french cant be coached up on free throws.  he will never be kevin lisch at the line, but he should be able to at least make 50+%.   now can it be done in midseason?   probably not without doing damage elsewhere to his game but GD spend the summer fixing this.  

slufanskip likes this
Link to comment
Share on other sites

24 minutes ago, 3star_recruit said:

There are literally scores of D-1 players shooting under 60%.  Some of them even move onto the NBA.  I don't think years and years of horrendous free throw shooting is as easy to correct as you think it is.  What you really need is a time machine to visit the 13 year old version of Has before all the trouble started.  

Yea, I get it. That's why I said a part of me lol. I really need the 10 year old Has. With that said I can watch his shot and there are some things he could change that imo would help him

Link to comment
Share on other sites

28 minutes ago, 3star_recruit said:

There are literally scores of D-1 players shooting under 60%.  Some of them even move onto the NBA.  I don't think years and years of horrendous free throw shooting is as easy to correct as you think it is.  What you really need is a time machine to visit the 13 year old version of Has before all the trouble started.  

but it could have been greatly improved over an entire college career.   and skip is right in an above post.   it takes repetition with someone watching constantly and making immediate repairs.   not just talking about and walking away and hope that the shooter can fix on their own with reps.

it is a long process to fix that.   some players naturally do it, others like french apparently need more attention.   here is another benefit.  fix the free throws (to some degree anyway) and his floor game shooting will improve as well.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pretty sure I read somewhere on the board that Travis Ford claims French makes 80 of a 100 FT's in practice. If that is even close to being true then he should be doing much better in actual games. It seems like JG has been shooting better from the line lately.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

29 minutes ago, bauman said:

We need to set him up on a date with Myia Clark of the Women's team.  I think I read that she has now made 35 FTs in a row.  They could start the date with an hour or two in the gym practicing FTs.  Hopefully she would rub off on him (no, not is an S3 way) and not him on her.  😉

when uconn girls were here last year, one of the things i noticed is that pretty much every single girl on the uconn team shot exactly the same.   free throws, threes, everything.   now that isnt a coincidence.   they had to be taught such.   there is a reason that the uconn team is as good as it is year after year after year.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Schasz said:

Pretty sure I read somewhere on the board that Travis Ford claims French makes 80 of a 100 FT's in practice. If that is even close to being true then he should be doing much better in actual games. It seems like JG has been shooting better from the line lately.

put me in the camp of "i'll believe that when i see it".

Link to comment
Share on other sites

-our staff has spent all kinds of time (in season and over the summers) with our guys on ft technique, you can see proper technique sometimes, but most of the time, our guys are not doing in the game what they have been coached and practiced, if I knew why or if the staff knew why it wouldn't be this way, call it dumb, stupid or selfish (as it was to me), it doesn't make sense but that's the way it is

-in some ways it sounds like a golfer that can hit it great on the practice range and not on the course

-this crap about them not being coached on proper ft technique is just that, crap

Link to comment
Share on other sites

25 minutes ago, Schasz said:

Pretty sure I read somewhere on the board that Travis Ford claims French makes 80 of a 100 FT's in practice. If that is even close to being true then he should be doing much better in actual games. It seems like JG has been shooting better from the line lately.

I watch French during warmups before the second half starts and his percentage on those are just as bad as in the game.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, Cowboy said:

-our staff has spent all kinds of time (in season and over the summers) with our guys on ft technique, you can see proper technique sometimes, but most of the time, our guys are not doing in the game what they have been coached and practiced, if I knew why or if the staff knew why it wouldn't be this way, call it dumb, stupid or selfish (as it was to me), it doesn't make sense but that's the way it is

-in some ways it sounds like a golfer that can hit it great on the practice range and not on the course

-this crap about them not being coached on proper ft technique is just that, crap

I agree that the coaches are not ignoring this problem. They know it will cost us Ws down the line. I think your take is the same as mine, i.e. they are choking due to anxiety. When you've lost confidence all your training goes out the window. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


×
×
  • Create New...