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Free Throw Shooting - RU Now Worst of Any Power Conference Team

NiTeKnight

Junior
Nov 28, 2003
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RU finally falls below UCLA and is now the worst free throw shooting team in any Power conference according to NCAA.com. Of 351 D1 teams, Rutgers ranks 343 in free throw shooting.
Gotta get better, costing us games.
 
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RU finally falls below UCLA and is now the worst free throw shooting team in any Power conference according to NCAA.com. Of 351 D1 teams, Rutgers ranks 343 in free throw shooting.
Gotta get better, costing us games.
Yup cost us 4 games!!
 
Every player has their ceiling when it comes to free throw percentage. With enough practice doing it the right way, each player should be shooting at or close to their own individual ceiling.

Johnson’s ceiling might be 65%, while McConnell’s might be 90%. Everyone else is somewhere in between. So there’s definitely room for improvement.

That said, as a team if we shot 70% in every game instead of 60%, then most games that’s probably only 2 more points from the foul line.

We would be better off making one more 3-pointer per game.
 
Every player has their ceiling when it comes to free throw percentage. With enough practice doing it the right way, each player should be shooting at or close to their own individual ceiling.

Johnson’s ceiling might be 65%, while McConnell’s might be 90%. Everyone else is somewhere in between. So there’s definitely room for improvement.

That said, as a team if we shot 70% in every game instead of 60%, then most games that’s probably only 2 more points from the foul line.

We would be better off making one more 3-pointer per game.
No it’s at least been 4 points per game and don’t forget you have to add in the missed front ends of a one and one so it’s easily 4 points per game
 
The Iowa game was the only B1G game we lost by less than 5 points. We lost to Wisky by 5 but in that game we shot 83% from the line.

Other than Iowa I’m not seeing any other B1G games we would have won by shooting better (say, 75%) at the line, including front ends of one and ones.

Edit: Maybe we win the IL game with better FT shooting
 
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the free throw shooting sucks period..it has to get better and Myles the most
I agree and said as much in my post, but we have only lost two (see my edit above) B1G games where shooting 75% from the line would have won it for us.

On the other hand we probably win 4 more B1G games by shooting 37%-39% from 3.
 
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The Iowa game was the only B1G game we lost by less than 5 points. We lost to Wisky by 5 but in that game we shot 83% from the line.

Other than Iowa I’m not seeing any other B1G games we would have won by shooting better (say, 75%) at the line.
Illinois game definitely Iowa another one Northwestern you can’t go strictly by the numbers but also when they were missed shots and like I said how many front ends of one and ones
 
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We lost the Northwestern game primarily because Gene didn’t play. Even if we shot 72% from the line including on otherwise missed front ends of one and ones, we still wouldn’t have made enough to win.

Not arguing that we should shoot better from the line, which I agree with. Just saying it would only have mattered in two games, which admittedly is two games too many.

On the other hand we would have won both those games and likely two more if we shot better (like 37%-39%) from 3, even with our poor foul shooting, in those games.
 
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No it’s at least been 4 points per game and don’t forget you have to add in the missed front ends of a one and one so it’s easily 4 points per game
I love how, during poor free-throw shooting conversations, someone always brings up don't forget the missed front end of a one-and-one as if it's an automatic given that the back end of the one in one is going to be made.
 
No it’s at least been 4 points per game and don’t forget you have to add in the missed front ends of a one and one so it’s easily 4 points per game

No Rich it is actually not. I posted the stats in 2 different threads. If Rutgers shot 70% in the B1G games so far it was an extra 19pts in 15 games at that time. Before counting for missed front end opportunity it was just barely over 1pt per game.
 
I love how, during poor free-throw shooting conversations, someone always brings up don't forget the missed front end of a one-and-one as if it's an automatic given that the back end of the one in one is going to be made.

That's not the point Russ. The point is making the first gets you another. Which means more attempts overall. Making even 67% of those additional shots means more points. Just math.

Lets say 1 team shoots 67% by making all their 2pt shot attempts but never the front end of a 1 and 1. They take 18 shots making 12 by going 12 for 12 on shooting fouls but 0 for 6 on front end of 1 and 1s. 12 total points. 67%.

The other team shooting 67% makes 8 of 12 on the shooting fouls but makes 67% of the other 6 front ends. 4 points plus and extra 4 shots. 67% on those 4 extra shots is 2.7 more pts.

8 plus 4 plus 2.7 is 14.7pts vs. 12pts for team 1.


Simple version. 67% of 18 shots is 12 but 67% of 22 shots is 14.7.
 
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Missing front ends of one and ones is frustrating for sure, Btw, rarely does a team take all 6 one and ones in a game (some of the 7th, 8th and 9th fouls are charges, technicals or 2–shot fouls).
 
You never want to having empty trips down the court. Getting the front end of the one and keeps the scoring going, whether 1 or 2.
 
Geo, Eugene, Ron and Montez should be much better from the line than they are. It’s tough to watch.
 
I agree and said as much in my post, but we have only lost two (see my edit above) B1G games where shooting 75% from the line would have won it for us.

On the other hand we probably win 4 more B1G games by shooting 37%-39% from 3.

We can practice and improve on both free throws and 3’s. They are not mutual exclusive.

And winning vs Iowa and Illinois with better FT shooting, give us ONLY 2 more wins...then SIN ME UP! 7-9 in the B1G is awesome improvement for us...very different from 5-11, right?
 
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You never want to having empty trips down the court. Getting the front end of the one and keeps the scoring going, whether 1 or 2.

Missing the front end of a 1 on 1 is like going 0-2, instead of the official scoring of 0-1.
 
While mathematically making one more 3-point shot per game may be more beneficial than improving the free throw %, the idea that a team can't take advantage of "free" points somehow offsets that argument for me. Free throws, no one is guarding you and you can practice this anywhere, anytime and hopefully improve, take the points when they are given to you and possibly change or improve momentum in any given game.

3-pointers are usually defended with defenders coming from various angles, so it stands to reason that replicating this in practice is not as easy and while the momentum swing can be substantial, I still think the improvement a team can expect % wise here is probably at best 3-4% over any given season. While I think a 10% increase in free-throw shooting is probably realistic if stressed and practiced. From a math perspective i'm not sure which is more beneficial BUT again the math takes out the timing of when said shots are taken and made/missed and what impact it has on the game at the time they occur.

All I'm trying to say is take the free points as often as possible when offered or given.
 
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Geo, Eugene, Ron and Montez should be much better from the line than they are. It’s tough to watch.
Its as inconsistent as there shooting has been the whole year. It is weird. I think overall it points to their inconsistency in their shot form. Some shots are midjump,some low jump, spme too much arma, others too much legs, etc.
 
I agree and said as much in my post, but we have only lost two (see my edit above) B1G games where shooting 75% from the line would have won it for us.

On the other hand we probably win 4 more B1G games by shooting 37%-39% from 3.
I think missing at least 5 layups per game has a dramatic impact on a team that lacks shooters.
 
I think we can all agree this team has problems shooting from everywhere.

you win. :)

The one other consideration on FTs is that we've all seen how a poorly shooting player finally makes one and then goes on to score from there. Breeds confidence.
Seeing the ball go thru the hoop. We've all seen it and heard it.
 
I love how, during poor free-throw shooting conversations, someone always brings up don't forget the missed front end of a one-and-one as if it's an automatic given that the back end of the one in one is going to be made.

Not a given but if you don’t make the first you never give yourself the chance to make the 2nd.

So missing the front end of 1 and 1 ones is a killer and an empty posssesion, period.
 
Illinois game definitely Iowa another one Northwestern you can’t go strictly by the numbers but also when they were missed shots and like I said how many front ends of one and ones

Agree, final margin is WAY too simplistic a perspective.
 
I love how, during poor free-throw shooting conversations, someone always brings up don't forget the missed front end of a one-and-one as if it's an automatic given that the back end of the one in one is going to be made.

Grew up watching Bird where this assumption was a given. Sniff
 
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