Free throw shooting

[EarlJam]

No observation or judgement, just an interesting and rather unbelievable fact I found at Foxsports.com:

Here’s an interesting stat: DeMarcus Nelson has attempted as many free throws (29) as field goals over his past three games. And he’s made one more field goal than free throw.

-EarlJam

[ThatDukeFan1]

it's actually easy to believe. you know, dmark does miss some FG's here and there, but he makes a lot of shots out on the floor. but when he goes to the FT line ....... well, you'd probably just be better off if you blind-folded shaq and put him on the line.

[greybeard]

Said it before, Dman loses all connection with the big muscles of his body when he bends his shooting arm beyond 90 degrees. Makes distance control impossible.

Somebody tell him to watch film of Dollar Bill, who drove his shot from his big muscles (butt and quads) which he allowed to create the momentum to straighten his torso slightly, lift his entire upper frame slightly, which then lead to a straightening of the angles in his arm and wrist through release. Dollar Bill's shot was particularly unusual because of the extent to which he took everything else out of play, made the shot entirely a function of the legs and butt. Created the most simple shooting machine imaginable with the possible exception of Rick Barry's, which no one on the planet would ever get DeMarcus to even think about trying to emulate.

Would take someone like Demarcus maybe an hour of experimenting to figure out how to construct and operate that machine. It will be very repeatable; we know that because the machine is simple (has so few energy sources--the push into the floor is solely responsible for a series of expanding angles) and because Dollar Bill proved it repeatable. So, if you pick a simple formula and you know that there is an answer, the solution will come.

Now, there are lots of other ways to shoot repeatably. But this one is simple and proven. He should try it. Or, he can keep bending that arm the way he does (bet a nickle that he developed that style to shoot the 3, and I'm not talking about the college 3 either) and keep guessing how far the ball will fly.

[fogey]

Great analysis, but it's not just bending the elbow more than 90 degrees... the elbow is also thrust up above his shoulder, so that the angle of his upper arm approaches vertical, and the ball winds up being "slung" from up above and almost behind his head. A mechanical recipe for inconsistency.

[gw67]

Nelson has been a poor free throw shooter for his entire career at Duke. This year he is shooting 60% whereas his career average is 58%. Personally, I think that his current shooting form is a significant improvement over his form as a freshman. Form is important but I'm convinced that confidence and being able to relax are even more important. Scheyer, Singler, Smith and Paulus are good shooters from the free throw line and I would expect them to be good throughout their career. Henderson, Thomas and McClure are below average free throw shooters and I will be surprised if they improve much over their careers. The player who I can't figure out is King.

I'm not sure that it is wise to tinker with your form during the season although many who have trouble from the line seem to do so. I watched the Maryland game last night and Osby "bricked" five of five free throws using a technique that looks horrible and is very different from the form he used early in the season. The Terps also have a unique player in Milbourne who has a tough time making a shot beyond two feet but is shooting over 80% from the line.

gw67

[EarlJam]

I'm not sure that it is wise to tinker with your form during the season although many who have trouble from the line seem to do so. I watched the Maryland game last night and Osby "bricked" five of five free throws using a technique that looks horrible and is very different from the form he used early in the season. The Terps also have a unique player in Milbourne who has a tough time making a shot beyond two feet but is shooting over 80% from the line.

gw67

Hee hee hee. You said "Tinker." :D

[greybeard]

True story, when I was a senior in high school, our All-County center, a very good friend of mine, was a horrific foul shooter. He had this habbit of putting his left hand in front of the ball when shooting. On short jump shots, he'd let go and it worked, well sort of. He usually just jumped over people.

Anyway, on foul shots he wouldn't let go and it was truly ugly. One day the coach asked me to work with him, only the coach decided to use a prop. He tied Stein's left arm to his left thigh, giving him enough rope to keep his hand on the ball for a while to guide it, but not to keep it on through the release.

Suffice it to say that my boy Stein nearly killed the both of us, hanging on through the release while yanking his left leg up in the air like a rocket.

He took to shooting them underhand, and made two at the end of a quarterfinal game with no time remaining for us to win by one.

Probably not a good idea to fool with Nelson's shot; definitely would not use no rope. ;)

Later that year, my boy went on to win the high jump in the Macabea games; when I saw him a few years ago for the first time since college, he gave me a big hug and reminded me of that accomplishment, saying: "You know, you just hugged a guy who was once the highest jumping Jew in the world."

grey "stories make life that much richer and thanks for listening to mine" beard

[devildeac]

Hee hee hee. You said "Tinker." :D

EJ, settle down, he said 'tinker' not 'tinkle'.

[mgtr]

I don't have the box score, but I guess that Markie did better on free throws tonight.

[Bob Green]

I don't have the box score, but I guess that Markie did better on free throws tonight.

DeMarcus Nelson was 6-7 from the line against Temple. He has now made 42 of 67 attempts or 62.68 percent for the season. The team made over 82% of their attempts from the line.

[Oh Canada]

I've heard a lot of talk lately about college players and their inability to hit free throws at a high percentage. The topic came up again during the Clemson game for obvious reasons.

Just wanted to add my two cents. I do remember the early 90's when many teams won games because of their ability to get to the line. Heck, Duke ALWAYS made more than their opponents attempted. This was due in large part to an emphasis on the post game but percentages were higher across D1 throughout.

I don't see the percentage drop as a lack of commitment to practice for most players as it was mentioned during the Clemson game. As a high school player myself, I was a good outside shooter but struggled to maintain a 70% average from the stripe. I felt a lot of pressure when alone on the line and tended to push the ball and would leave many shots long. In a game situation I could knock down jumpers from 15 feet much more effectively because I didn't have to think as much.

So here's my question, could it be more mental rather than physical? Could players like Hammonds or even Nelson use help from a sport psychologist? When the game is on they react to the situation and shoot when open but at the line they have time to analyze everything.

Second, the game is much faster than it was during the Hurley era. Seems like many players can't calm themselves or their breathing and focus on putting the ball in the basket. Scheyer is a great example of setting up a routine and calming himself before shooting.

Just a thought I've had. Would love to hear what you all have to think about the current foul shooting situation.

[rsvman]

I do think that a lot of free-throw shooting is mental. At the same time, I wonder whether kids think about and practice free-throw shooting as much as they did when I was a kid. Our high-school coach used to make us shoot free throws at the end of practice, after suicides, when we were dog-tired. He'd make us each take one shot, one after another, and we couldn't go home until we made 10 in a row. This caused the pressure to go up as the made free-throw count approached ten, thus at least approximating a game-type situation. One evening when we just couldn't seem to get it done, the janitors came in and said we absolutely had to leave the gym. Coach took us outside to the recess hoop, pulled his car over and turned his headlights on so we could see, and we continued to shoot them until we made the 10 in a row.

Research has shown that free-throw shooting can improve just by mentally practicing; visualizing the shot go through the hoop over and over again. This shows the importance of the mental aspect.

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

Perhaps younger players don't see as much value in free throw shooting as in other ways of making points which can be flashier. It takes a lot of practice and discipline to groove accurate foul shooting form so that it truly becomes automatic. Without such dedicated practice which includes the mental side of the shot (concentration, visualization, etc.), there's little chance for developing reliable muscle memory.

Think back to one of Bill Foster's teams known for having a team average of about making about 80% of their free throws. They didn't just develop that after they got to Duke. They built on the skills they already had.

[Jumbo]

Exactly. I was/am a pretty darn good FT shooter, and have had the opportunity to coach kids. I always focus on FTs, and I simplify it as much as possible into two things: 1) form and 2) routine. And since kids sometimes aren't strong enough to shoot with proper form, I've found that routine is actually more important. You have to do the same thing, every time. Bounce the ball twice. Take a deep breath. Bounced it again. When you set yourself up the same way, you should find enough of an inner calm (starting to sound like Greybeard now) to let your muscle memory take over.
Once you're strong enough to shoot with proper form, I've found the key is lining yourself up properly (right foot at the center of the line), making sure to bend your knees, following through and -- this can't be stressed strongly enough -- getting enough arc on the ball. One of my friend's old coaches once told him (and he passed it along to me) that the rim is big enough to fit two basketballs. The higher up you get the ball, the better chance it has of going in.

[Saratoga2]

Perhaps younger players don't see as much value in free throw shooting as in other ways of making points which can be flashier. It takes a lot of practice and discipline to groove accurate foul shooting form so that it truly becomes automatic. Without such dedicated practice which includes the mental side of the shot (concentration, visualization, etc.), there's little chance for developing reliable muscle memory.

Think back to one of Bill Foster's teams known for having a team average of about making about 80% of their free throws. They didn't just develop that after they got to Duke. They built on the skills they already had.

You would think a pro would get the best coaching and have nothing but time to work on that phase of their game. Yet I watched TV games and was at a game recently and there were many misses. We have some good free throw shooters on the team and some that struggle. They all get the same coaching, so the difference has to be in the individual, whether it is mental or mechanics.

[BD80]

I've found the key is ... -- this can't be stressed strongly enough -- getting enough arc on the ball. One of my friend's old coaches once told him (and he passed it along to me) that the rim is big enough to fit two basketballs. The higher up you get the ball, the better chance it has of going in.

Well ... Actually, increasing the arc of the ball also increases the flight path of the ball and thus increases the total angular error for a given shot - if you are a bit right on a flat shot, you'll be more right on the same shot with higher arc. Further, particularly with kids having problems getting the ball to the rim, trying to get the ball way above the rim will add significantly more error. Last, a ball with a high arc is going to have a greater momentum when reaching the rim and thus bounce more if it hits the rim. Given the presence of the backboard, direction is far more important than arc, as hitting the front or back of the rim will yield many more baskets than hitting either side of the rim. A higher arc will benefit most shooters, as long as they have the strength to achieve consistency and directional accuracy with that higher arc. The other tips are dead on, why can't more players shoot free throws?

Although, I have often wondered how I would do trying to shoot a late game free throw in front of a hostile crowd such as Cameron. Many players who shoot 90% in practice shoot 60% in games.

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

You would think a pro would get the best coaching and have nothing but time to work on that phase of their game. Yet I watched TV games and was at a game recently and there were many misses. We have some good free throw shooters on the team and some that struggle. They all get the same coaching, so the difference has to be in the individual, whether it is mental or mechanics.
Perhaps the career path of many pro basketball players is a key to their lack of interest in mastering free throws. Players who spend little or no time in college somehow seem to me less likely to develop the discipline it takes to learn to shoot free throws well and accurately. While being a good free throw shooter can be as valuable in a close basketball game as being a good kicker can be in a close football game, it's just not FLASHY.

[jimmymax]

I recall seeing a team play this year with a FT shooting specialist on staff who was credited for raising the team's % by something like 10 points in the space of a year. I can't remember who it was. After tearing my hair out y'day afternoon (1st half) I checked and was surprised to see the Duke men are shooting better than I imagined: 7/12 in conference, .695. The women are an anemic 10/12, .629. Maybe Duke should open its wallet and put another suit on the bench: a shared resource for the two teams. Maybe Chip Engelland has a few spare cycles...

[Jumbo]

You're thinking of Florida State.

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

I recall seeing a team play this year with a FT shooting specialist on staff who was credited for raising the team's % by something like 10 points in the space of a year. I can't remember who it was. After tearing my hair out y'day afternoon (1st half) I checked and was surprised to see the Duke men are shooting better than I imagined: 7/12 in conference, .695. The women are an anemic 10/12, .629. Maybe Duke should open its wallet and put another suit on the bench: a shared resource for the two teams. Maybe Chip Engelland has a few spare cycles...
The same notion came up last night in the section where I sit in Cameron. We talked about "passing the hat" to come up with some cash for this purpose. Since Chip's an alum, if the right person asked he might find time in his schedule.

I do have a question about the math involved in your post. Where/how did you get the numbers? I can't follow the reasoning.

[jimmymax]

Sorry not clear I guess: 7/12 = 7th of the 12 ACC teams . . . courtesy of http://www.theacc.com/sports/m-baskbl/stats/2007-2008/confldrs.html and http://www.theacc.com/sports/w-baskbl/stats/2007-2008/confldrs.html.

Aha, FSU. Thanks. FYI they are #1 at .790.

[dukestheheat]

Ok, before my Duke days, I was a player and I had a 'shot doctor' (guy named Hank Slider) take apart my free throw. He had me shoot about 50 free throws and he sat there and watched everything from my rhythm to get to the line and all things between that and the actual delivery of the shot. I met him at a great basketball camp up in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania my junior year of high school.

Now, it didn't help me as much as I thought it might, as my Duke Intramural team, The Mad Scientists, lost the championship game by 4 points as I missed three free throws going down the stretch!

But here's the deal: Duke struggles at the free throw stripe. A couple narrow losses could have been totally averted if we'd been 'good' up there.

What is done at the collegiate level to help college shooters become dependable at the line? For many Duke players this year in particular, this is a true area for improvement. We are going to need a much better overall performance at the line to be competitive going down the stretch.

What can be done, or is done, to help our guys in this area?

dth.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Good question from heat there. I really think besides the lack of post play, that free throws have been our most glaring weakness. Teams can't be afraid to put us to the line. We took some action tonite to get our post guy some real game time, what do we have for our stripe woes?

[dukestheheat]

Good question from heat there. I really think besides the lack of post play, that free throws have been our most glaring weakness. Teams can't be afraid to put us to the line. We took some action tonite to get our post guy some real game time, what do we have for our stripe woes?

As I remember it, I had a couple issues which prevented a higher percentage at the line.

1) I had a tendency to watch the ball as I released it, instead of watching the 'back part of the rim', as I was eventually instructed to do.
2) Also, every time I shot I put the ball right in front of my face as I was releasing the ball out of my hands. This way, I was also blinding myself to the rim!
3) And, I remember that I had the attitude that this was a contested shot and I was tense as I went up there. I had, for some reason, the same idea about this 'free throw' as I had about coming off of a pick to shoot the 3 ball! I was instructed to so relax up there it isn't even funny, even work to enjoy the break, and realize that those shots were going down! (positive self-talk).

So for me, at least, it was a combination of mental and mechanical issues and when I worked on these, I went from 68% to 84% at the stripe.

?

dukestheheat.

[Verga3]

Perhaps younger players don't see as much value in free throw shooting as in other ways of making points which can be flashier. It takes a lot of practice and discipline to groove accurate foul shooting form so that it truly becomes automatic. Without such dedicated practice which includes the mental side of the shot (concentration, visualization, etc.), there's little chance for developing reliable muscle memory.

Think back to one of Bill Foster's teams known for having a team average of about making about 80% of their free throws. They didn't just develop that after they got to Duke. They built on the skills they already had.

Completely agree. Mechanics are tough (not impossible) to substantially change after many years, but routines, concentration and the whole mental side can really be developed in college.

Also, if we could get Singler on the line (a la Laettner) 200+ times a year, that would help.....And incidently, aren't his inside-outside abilities somewhat reminiscent of Laettner's?

[UrinalCake]

People often talk about going to the gym and shooting 1000 free throws in a row as a way to improve their percentages, but in a game you don't get to shoot a bunch of them at one time. You only get to shoot two (or sometimes one, or occasionally three). Then you have to stop and do other things, then a while later you can shoot two more. So shooting a whole bunch in a row doesn't really help because once you get into a rhythm, you're just repeating the motion, but in a game situation you never have a chance to get into that rhythm.

One of the interesting things I've noticed about Nelson is that it seems like he often makes the first free throw, then misses the second. This is really unusual; normally a player will miss the first, then make an adjustment and make the second. Which makes me think his problems are more psychological than mechanical.

[Saratoga2]

People often talk about going to the gym and shooting 1000 free throws in a row as a way to improve their percentages, but in a game you don't get to shoot a bunch of them at one time. You only get to shoot two (or sometimes one, or occasionally three). Then you have to stop and do other things, then a while later you can shoot two more. So shooting a whole bunch in a row doesn't really help because once you get into a rhythm, you're just repeating the motion, but in a game situation you never have a chance to get into that rhythm.

One of the interesting things I've noticed about Nelson is that it seems like he often makes the first free throw, then misses the second. This is really unusual; normally a player will miss the first, then make an adjustment and make the second. Which makes me think his problems are more psychological than mechanical.

I've been watching him for 4 years and I would have thought he misses the first more often and frequently hits the front rim. His shot tends to be flatter than say Scheyer so he needs to be right on to hit. He works so hard out there on defense that maybe he has trouble settling down for his shots.

[BlueDevilBaby]

We used to shoot foul shots one-handed to get better form. We also would stop in the middle of practice for a one-and-one for the wonderful right not to run a suicide. This helped simulate game conditions - being winded, etc. The point about shooting a hundred in a row without simulating game conditions is a good one. I also think routine is greatly underestimated in any sport (e.g., tennis, golf, etc.). I never changed how many times I bounced the tennis ball before I served from the time I started playing until now (and I have a pretty good serve, although rotator cuff surgery has put all tennis on hold) or what I do at the foul line and was more successful than not at putting them down. Finding a routine that works foryou can put you in a mental comfort zone and provides muscle memory. Incidentally, I always looked at the very front of the rim rather than the back. Swish!

[-jk]

I saw a Duke practice once: when the free-throw shooter missed, the rest of the team ran suicides. The shooter got to stand around and think about it.

Peer pressure can be as tough as game pressure.

-jk

[Lauderdevil]

Here's a statistical analysis I'd love to see emerge from the analytic crowd on this board: what NCAA coaching staff provides the most value added when it comes to free throws? I.e., what team's players show the most improvement in free-throw percentage from season to season? Call it the Free Throw Improvement (FTI) index. It would be one measure of how effectively that team coaches players to better performance in this key metric. My sense -- though without having done the analysis, I could well be wrong -- is that this is one of the rare areas where Duke would not rank at or near the top of the college ranks.

[gofurman]

Here's a statistical analysis I'd love to see emerge from the analytic crowd on this board: what NCAA coaching staff provides the most value added when it comes to free throws? I.e., what team's players show the most improvement in free-throw percentage from season to season? Call it the Free Throw Improvement (FTI) index. It would be one measure of how effectively that team coaches players to better performance in this key metric. My sense -- though without having done the analysis, I could well be wrong -- is that this is one of the rare areas where Duke would not rank at or near the top of the college ranks.

FSU - as well documented - hired a free throw coach this year and while they were already good (all guards, swann, rich, douglas...) there % went up some to where they are number one in NCAA or near it...

* I really don't understand why there isn't more of this done or more emphasis on FTs... Think of all the points gained in a season if your team changes from say 65 to 70%. Duke typically takes about 800 FTs . If you up the FT% by 5 percentage points you get 40 free points - that is worth at least 3 maybe 4 wins I bet...

[dukestheheat]

FSU - as well documented - hired a free throw coach this year and while they were already good (all guards, swann, rich, douglas...) there % went up some to where they are number one in NCAA or near it...

* I really don't understand why there isn't more of this done or more emphasis on FTs... Think of all the points gained in a season if your team changes from say 65 to 70%. Duke typically takes about 800 FTs . If you up the FT% by 5 percentage points you get 40 free points - that is worth at least 3 maybe 4 wins I bet...

Shoot, you got kicking coaches in football, why not free throw shooting coaches in college basketball? I could do this I bet you $50 based on what I learned from the whole experience. And, while I got Hank Slider to work over my free throws at the basketball camp, I improved over about a month's time so I don't think it'd take a year to show significant improvemeht. I never think that teaching free throws is silly; the previous poster cites 3 or 4 more wins per year and I agree with that.

dth.

[BD80]

We have 4 coaches with over 50 years of combined experience, all of whom were point guards and good free throw shooters. One is a hall of fame coach. Our staff is the current US Basketball staff. Most years, our teams are among the best in the nation in free throw shooting.

So how in the $^&* can anyone on this board even suggest they could do more than our current staff to improve the team's free throw shooting??? That there is some coaching technique or approach not known to our staff? Unbelievable.

Suggesting that Zoubek or Taylor should play more is one thing, suggesting that one could actually coach better in any aspect than our staff is unbelievable.

Lance, Markie and G shoot 54%, 60%, and 64%. The other 5 are 76% or better. Lance and G will improve. Markie is the real issue.

[heyman25]

De Marcus would add about 5 pts per game to his average if he was a better free throw shooter. He can drive to the hoop,but he does not finish and make the tough shot like Chris Duhon was able to do his senior year. Lance would take more shots if he could convert at the line. It is a problem. Hope it doesn't come back to bite us in the A@#

[fogey]

We have 4 coaches with over 50 years of combined experience, all of whom were point guards and good free throw shooters. One is a hall of fame coach. Our staff is the current US Basketball staff. Most years, our teams are among the best in the nation in free throw shooting.

So how in the $^&* can anyone on this board even suggest they could do more than our current staff to improve the team's free throw shooting??? That there is some coaching technique or approach not known to our staff? Unbelievable.

Suggesting that Zoubek or Taylor should play more is one thing, suggesting that one could actually coach better in any aspect than our staff is unbelievable.

Lance, Markie and G shoot 54%, 60%, and 64%. The other 5 are 76% or better. Lance and G will improve. Markie is the real issue.
While DM's mechanics are somewhat flawed (as many posts on other threads have noted), better % is possible if you give the free throw a better chance by launching with higher arc, and letting the ball "settle" down through the rim. Basic physics confirms that the more vertical the descent of the ball coming at the rim, the more room there is for it to enter the cylinder without striking rim. Flatter shots need to be perfect in distance to avoid front or back rim, very little margin for error, particularly when a shooter is tired, winded, anxious, etc. Great free throw shooters tend to launch the ball up at a higher angle, for a "softer" shot that falls through the rim.

[dukestheheat]

We have 4 coaches with over 50 years of combined experience, all of whom were point guards and good free throw shooters. One is a hall of fame coach. Our staff is the current US Basketball staff. Most years, our teams are among the best in the nation in free throw shooting.

So how in the $^&* can anyone on this board even suggest they could do more than our current staff to improve the team's free throw shooting??? That there is some coaching technique or approach not known to our staff? Unbelievable.

Suggesting that Zoubek or Taylor should play more is one thing, suggesting that one could actually coach better in any aspect than our staff is unbelievable.

Lance, Markie and G shoot 54%, 60%, and 64%. The other 5 are 76% or better. Lance and G will improve. Markie is the real issue.

So, this is one area for improvement, and in this sport as well as in the business world, we work on those areas where we can be stronger. It may not become our greatest strength, but the idea is to find an area where we're not good, and do some basic stuff to make it better, overall. The main focus will always remain on doing what you do best and working to be even better; this case, it's making some changes where we're not strong to drive a team to win a couple more games, notably versus Pittsburgh (one point loss) and versus Miami (another one point loss).

It is said in football that field goal kickers can decide games; we saw this in the Super Bowl this year with the Giant win. The same holds true in basketball, especially at this level, where elite teams decide games by 5 points or less in competitive games!

The simple question is: If 'coaching' was your daily work, what would you do to help improve that? I draw upon my experience and I'm asking at this level (compared to my learning at the chump level) what can coaches do?

This is a basic area for improvement that when improved, gets Duke out of the Elite 8 this year and into the Final Four, where it belongs.

dth.

[captmojo]

While DM's mechanics are somewhat flawed (as many posts on other threads have noted), better % is possible if you give the free throw a better chance by launching with higher arc, and letting the ball "settle" down through the rim. Basic physics confirms that the more vertical the descent of the ball coming at the rim, the more room there is for it to enter the cylinder without striking rim. Flatter shots need to be perfect in distance to avoid front or back rim, very little margin for error, particularly when a shooter is tired, winded, anxious, etc. Great free throw shooters tend to launch the ball up at a higher angle, for a "softer" shot that falls through the rim.

An increase of spin has an influence on "forgiveness" of a slightly indirect aim at the target. More spin will cause the ball to jump off a rim farther away, while less spin (soft shot) is more the variety to rim-bounce closer in on the target with a possibility to eventually drop through the nets.

DeMarcus has large hands that create more distance for the ball to roll across toward the fingertips. This, coupled with short-arming of his shot, (not enough elevation of his hands in follow-through) are making his attempts hard to watch. I say this is hard because his aim is so good. All his misses are hitting the direct back of the rim. He needs his elbow at least level with his nose at release. Either this, or maybe he should consider a jump shot from the line.

[Saratoga2]

While DM's mechanics are somewhat flawed (as many posts on other threads have noted), better % is possible if you give the free throw a better chance by launching with higher arc, and letting the ball "settle" down through the rim. Basic physics confirms that the more vertical the descent of the ball coming at the rim, the more room there is for it to enter the cylinder without striking rim. Flatter shots need to be perfect in distance to avoid front or back rim, very little margin for error, particularly when a shooter is tired, winded, anxious, etc. Great free throw shooters tend to launch the ball up at a higher angle, for a "softer" shot that falls through the rim.

Thie concept of more arc on the ball also applies to outside shots. Melchioni went through bad periods where his shot was very flat and he started missing a lot of his shots. I think he tried more arc but found it hard to make the adjustment that late in his career. DeMarcus also had that habit but he varies and gets more arc on the ball. King has a reputation as being a great shooter but hasn't been hitting well of late. I also note his shot is flattening out lately. It is not that the flat shot can't be made, it is that it has to be more accurate. Larry Bird always put a lot of arc on his shot and he was a great shooter as was the case of Jo Jo White for you older Celtic fans.

[BD80]

Lance, Markie and G shoot 54%, 60%, and 64%. The other 5 are 76% or better. Lance and G will improve. Markie is the real issue.


OK, I may have been wrong, MARKIE CAN SHOOT FREE THROWS1111

I had been commenting that Markie was having a bad game at State, but boy did he step up in crunch time!

[Chard]

Seemed like he was much more deliberate in taking his time at the line. I assume the coaches worked with the team on that.

[Lauderdevil]

We have 4 coaches with over 50 years of combined experience, all of whom were point guards and good free throw shooters. One is a hall of fame coach. Our staff is the current US Basketball staff. Most years, our teams are among the best in the nation in free throw shooting.

So how in the $^&* can anyone on this board even suggest they could do more than our current staff to improve the team's free throw shooting??? That there is some coaching technique or approach not known to our staff? Unbelievable.

Suggesting that Zoubek or Taylor should play more is one thing, suggesting that one could actually coach better in any aspect than our staff is unbelievable.

Lance, Markie and G shoot 54%, 60%, and 64%. The other 5 are 76% or better. Lance and G will improve. Markie is the real issue.




Your assumption is that since Duke's coaching staff is likely the best in college basketball, therefore it must be true that it's also probably the best at coaching free throws. Maybe that's the case, but I'd love to see the data on it. A measure that determines the improvement in free-throw shooting among players who continue from one year to the next would help determine whether it's in fact true.

How much have Lance, Demarcus and Gerald improved since last year? Were the guys who are collectively shooting 76% or better doing that well last year, or did they improve to get there? And how does that compare to the performance of other teams? As I've said above, a Free Throw Improvement index across major teams would take about an hour to put together for someone who already has a database of box scores, and would tell us who's most effective in coaching free throws. I doubt we'd see the normal rankings on this list.