KeaneyBlue - The URI Basketball Forum

enough is enough

We lose all these games because of FTS

TIRED OF THIS

I was just going to post that.

UNBELIEVABLY BAD FT SHOOTING. Except for EC. Martin and Biruta have NO excuse.

Make 75% tonight, we're right in this game.

Dan might not like to hear it, but he's going to, and a LOT until they fix it.

Of course, PC picks tonight to revert back to last year, when they made everything.

we lost that game b/c we played like crap for a 5-6 minute span in the 2nd half. FTs and TOs didn't help.

it was a 5-6 minute stretch that we struggled and PC couldn't miss

And Dunn played the game of his life, which offset EC's great game.

Not enough help from the rest.

Good comeback, but I think we all knew how it would end. Too little, too late.

If Dunn had fouled out with a few to go, we would have won it in spite of all the missed FT's.

Some of the foul calls on us were total bogus, also.

Twisted, I can hear the excuses already. Young team and all that.

Yeah, Terrell and Jarvis are young, but they played well late.

But for a stretch, they were lost and it was the difference in the game.

Along with you-know-what.

FTS 4 the win....

The PC game is won with ease if they hit their free throws. What the F Dan. One entire practice should be devoted to free throws. Bring the band in to add some noise...get someone in their face while doing it and get these guys to focus on hitting free throw after free throw. This is absolutely ridiculous!

Hmm, I think this has been mentioned last year. Oh and the year before? 3 years becomes a trend folks. We're going to lose way more close games than we win with the state we're in. It doesn't seem like it's going to change either. Pathetic. Shut up the "noise' you mentioned earlier in the year Dan, by simply. making. free. throws. Disgusted.

Their free throw shooting is disgraceful for D1. I don't care if Dan doesn't want to hear it. It needs to be said. It is not acceptable.

What is really depressing, is we are CONSISTENTLY bad at FT's.

Even teams who aren't very good at them, like PC, make them at times, like tonight.

IF EC shot all our FT's we'd be at 80% and all would be seashells and balloons.

But he doesn't, and everybody else SUCKS at them. What is our team FT percentage, if you take away EC? 50 fucking percent? Or worse?

Hello JV, CYO or Jr. High or what have you. It's mind boggling.

Every team has a couple guys who can't make them. We have, like 10!!!!

EC is shooting 68.4% this year at the line, so there's that.
By the way, Hassan Martin is shooting that same number from the field!

I get the frustration over the missed FTs, its concerning...but do people honestly believe that they just flat out don't practice them? Seems ridiculous.

We are not a good free throw shooting team because we have very few good shooters. It's pretty simple.

It does seem that way Adam, but man, it's been 3 years now. It's become synonymous with URI basketball. Disturbing trend that would suggest it's not a point of emphasis right?

I was about to say the same thing Billyboy just said, I think it is much less about practice then it is about we have a team of bad shooters. It's not like they are draining everything else and just missing FT's.

St Joe's went to the tourney last year (and should have beaten UConn) and I believe they shot 60% from the FT line.

Billyboy hits the nail on the head, do you know a lot of great FT shooting teams that arent great perimeter shooters? They sorta go hand in hand. Its not a URI thing, when we had Baron, Cothran and Delroy (who all were competent or better shooters) we had a good FT shooting team. But, we had that guy coaching the other facets of the game.

Watson should have played more.....kid is a beast and offensively he has been great......not enough minutes for him...Biruta didn't step it up as senior

Tom98 wrote:Watson should have played more.....kid is a beast and offensively he has been great......not enough minutes for him...Biruta didn't step it up as senior

I agree...had a couple people around me wondering why he wasn't in the game. I assume because he's not great a the foul line, but still...the rest of the team wasn't good at the foul line so it's not like Rhody had much to lose by putting him in the game.

Rod, I'd take 68.4% from the line as a team in a heartbeat.

As for Hassan, his shot looks good, and he makes a high percentage from the floor, better than he shoots FT's.

Biruta has nights when he's a head case, nice night to take a nap, no?

68.4% may not sound like much, but it's worth a few points a game better than we're getting.

When we lose a couple more winnable games later this season by 2-3 points, that'll likely be the reason.

bigappleram wrote:St Joe's went to the tourney last year (and should have beaten UConn) and I believe they shot 60% from the FT line.

Billyboy hits the nail on the head, do you know a lot of great FT shooting teams that arent great perimeter shooters? They sorta go hand in hand. Its not a URI thing, when we had Baron, Cothran and Delroy (who all were competent or better shooters) we had a good FT shooting team. But, we had that guy coaching the other facets of the game.

Not necessarily true BAR. Only because I follow them as closely as I do Rhody, Michigan State may be the exception to the rule of your statement. They're currently 1st in the nation in 3 point shooting % at 44.4%. However, they are a few spots ahead of us at the charity stripe at 62.5%. Again, not saying this is always true, but I've watched them play every game this year and man can they shoot the 3 ball. For some reason at the line, they are pitiful.

I've said it before. A lot of free throw shooting is mental, too much time to think. A good shooter should be a good free throw shooter.

Billyboy78 wrote:I've said it before. A lot of free throw shooting is mental, too much time to think. A good shooter should be a good free throw shooter.

But we don't have a lot of good shooters.

I should set up Dan with my neice when she is back in SK for Xmas. She plays D2 college ball and her stats thus far this season from the line are 61-69 (.884).

RF1 wrote:I should set up Dan with my neice when she is back in SK for Xmas. She plays D2 college ball and her stats thus far this season from the line are 61-69 (.884).

Is she looking for a part time job?

The truth abou FT%

50th best free throw percent - 74%
average of all D1 - 68%
URI - 62%

URI averages 20 free throws per game. At a 6% differential from average, that is 1.2 points per game.

I agree, 74% would be great. We can use those extra 3.4 oints per game.

When I played we were coached, a balanced stance, focus on the front of the rim, a fluid knee bend, and a release point where you are looking the ball in.

.....I see a great improvement in technique this year by most players. Now it's reps and focus.

and don't even get me started ion the front ends of 1 and 1's

UConn won a championship b/c when they got to the FT line; they made them in the clutch

UConn also practices FT's at the end or practices

time to look in the mirror and change coaching FT's

because what we are doing is not working and we are losing games because of it

UConn is shooting free throws at 71% this year.

Coaches I've talked to prioritize practice time use on game plan strategies. It seems true, positioning is a big part of a defensive game plan that can yield stops, turn-overs, etc. Offensive skills fall into technique and getting accuracy with reps. Free throws in turns of time in practice, have a lower yield say than defense.
.....I think the free throw technique is being worked on. Most four year starter increase their free throw percentage over a career. The Baron's were an exception. I think they excelled with form and concentration.
.....I would go nuts today with all the hand slaping between shots, and the style points on set up, add defensive signals being called before the shot, and the lane switching tactics. All take away from focus..........I THINK.

It's disturbing that Hurley doesn't dedicate a portion of each practice to freebies. Kids won't practice them on their own. It's boring and monotonous to them. They need to drill on this. As a kid I had few talents on the court. But I hit my free throws at a high rate. No one covers you at the line.

I have heard Dan say multiple times on interviews that they do in fact practice FT's.

They need to practice more..

Prob would equate to 2 more wins/season

Just a guess but each game we see FTs killing us

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

CTRamfan wrote:The truth abou FT%

50th best free throw percent - 74%
average of all D1 - 68%
URI - 62%

URI averages 20 free throws per game. At a 6% differential from average, that is 1.2 points per game.

I agree, 74% would be great. We can use those extra 3.4 oints per game.

When I played we were coached, a balanced stance, focus on the front of the rim, a fluid knee bend, and a release point where you are looking the ball in.

.....I see a great improvement in technique this year by most players. Now it's reps and focus.

You also have to take into account the front end of one and ones which could be as many as 6 FTs per game. You hit only 3 or 4 and you not only lose that point, but a chance at another potential point.

In addition, opposing defenses can play more aggressively throughout the game, especially late in close games, because they are not scared to foul.

I hope Dan realizes that the constant harping about FT's will continue until it improves.

I would hope that they are going to place a new [or renewed] emphasis on FT's in practice.

I don't think FT shooting will come into play against Delaware St. or Brown.

It might against Detroit however. That game could be close.

Remember the 9-21 display at Detroit last year where we lost by 2?

Once we get on the road in A10 play, which is the first game actually, that's when missing from the line could really cost us.

The griping would/could stop, if only they would get better.

To those we say we will never be good at FT's because we aren't good shooters:

Bull Dinky. Baron excuse time. Not buying it.

Why do I say that?

Exhibit A: Kris Dunn. He's not a good shooter. But he killed us at the line Wednesday night.

It CAN be done. Guys on many teams have improved at the line as their careers have gone on.

Why haven't any of our guys gotten better at it?

The answer to me is simple. Because they don't want to bad enough. They won't work at it hard enough.

If the coaching staff won't make them practice them enough, THEY have to do it themselves.

Watch the video of Madness.
Tell me how much time was spent working on those dunks?
How much time do guards work on their crossovers and spin moves?
Fact is that free throw practice is boring and not Sports Center worthy,
no matter the end results.
Relying on players to practice free throws on their own isn't realistic.
The more I read, the more I see that some programs make it a priority.
Maybe we should do the same.

Rod, two years ago, PC was as bad at FT shooting as we are.

Last year, they were best in the country for a while, and still finished near the top.

This is with the same players adding Harris only.

What changed that? Either the players made the commitment to improve, and or the coaching staff did.

I know they had Cotton, but how many close games did they win? A lot.

With poor FT shooting, Cotton or no Cotton, they would have lost at least a couple more games.

Where's the lesson there? We need all the help we can get. With better FT shooting, we'll win a couple of those close games which make all the difference.

Why this coaching staff doesn't get it, is beyond me. That's my biggest issue with them right now.

FT shooting doesn't make ESPN highlights. What they don't get, even if they have a spectacular dunk, it will never show up on ESPN anyway because we are not nationally relevant.

If you asked a player if they would rather go 4-4 at the line or have a monster dunk, they'll choose the latter every time.

Being fundamentally sound is no longer important to today's player. It's all about the 3 and circus shots you'd see in a game of HORSE.

All true, but EC to Hassan's dunk DID make SC's Top 10
last season.

rodfromcranston wrote:All true, but EC to Hassan's dunk DID make SC's Top 10
last season.

True. Must have been a slow sports day. Heh heh..

Didn't someone from Rhody send ESPN the highlight?

Sweep The Leg wrote:FT shooting doesn't make ESPN highlights. What they don't get, even if they have a spectacular dunk, it will never show up on ESPN anyway because we are not nationally relevant.

If you asked a player if they would rather go 4-4 at the line or have a monster dunk, they'll choose the latter every time.

Being functionally sound is no longer important to today's player. It's all about the 3 and circus shots you'd see in a game of HORSE.

When do you see "circus shots"? My theory about why we can't shoot is kind of simple: we are too athletic. Players that are as athletically gifted as our best few players would have been elite recruits if they were knockdown shooters. In order for us to get guys that are gifted shooters we would have to be willing to take guys that may not be able to play the style Dan wants to play. That is a philosophical question he is going to have to answer. My preference would be to be more flexible with what you want to do on defense, because the way we are currently constituted I think we are going to have trouble scoring unless we can figure out a way to get out in transition more (and so far Dan has shown an unwillingness to extend pressure and speed up the game except out of desperation - maybe due to lack of depth).

ENOUGH ALREADY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPX5wpY ... freload=10


A BRESSLER PRODUCTION

IN ASSOCIATION WITH EMOTICON ENTERPRISES

TruePoint wrote:

Sweep The Leg wrote:FT shooting doesn't make ESPN highlights. What they don't get, even if they have a spectacular dunk, it will never show up on ESPN anyway because we are not nationally relevant.

If you asked a player if they would rather go 4-4 at the line or have a monster dunk, they'll choose the latter every time.

Being functionally sound is no longer important to today's player. It's all about the 3 and circus shots you'd see in a game of HORSE.

When do you see "circus shots"? My theory about why we can't shoot is kind of simple: we are too athletic. Players that are as athletically gifted as our best few players would have been elite recruits if they were knockdown shooters. In order for us to get guys that are gifted shooters we would have to be willing to take guys that may not be able to play the style Dan wants to play. That is a philosophical question he is going to have to answer. My preference would be to be more flexible with what you want to do on defense, because the way we are currently constituted I think we are going to have trouble scoring unless we can figure out a way to get out in transition more (and so far Dan has shown an unwillingness to extend pressure and speed up the game except out of desperation - maybe due to lack of depth).

I considered some of the off-balance layups we throw up as 'circus shots'. Sometimes there isn't a need for the increased difficulty in making a shot. The closet way to the basket is driving toward it, draw a foul instead of spinning into traffic or taking a fall away shot off one foot to avoid contact.

Most of our guys just have bad form at the line. Inconsistent shooters. They gotta put in the work in the offseason. When in a game they need to focus step up to the line and execute a solid routine. We shot it alright against Southern Miss 10-16, all we can reasonably hope for in this season are games like that.

PeterRamTime wrote:Most of our guys just have bad form at the line. Inconsistent shooters. They gotta put in the work in the offseason. When in a game they need to focus step up to the line and execute a solid routine. We shot it alright against Southern Miss 10-16, all we can reasonably hope for in this season are games like that.

62.5% is alright? Missing over one-third of our foul shots is not ok unless blindfolded.

We suck at FTs, no argument there. But I think that some posters are absolutely off-base in suggesting we need to practice FT's "more, better, harder, or at all" (suggesting that we don't practice them). Do people seriously think that the FT shooting is the coaches fault? IT'S THE DAMN PLAYERS FAULT FOR NOT MAKING THEM AND NOT BEING ABLE TO APPROPRIATELY HANDLE THE PRESSURE IN KEY SPOTS. "Dan needs to listen up and work on FTs because they're important" - no shit, do people actually think that Dan dismisses the importance of FTs? To quote the great Casey Stengel when asked what makes great coaches: "Great players." Our players haven't been performing well at the line so people misplace the blame onto the coach. Blame the players.

That aside, FTs were certainly a negative factor against PC, but we lost because we turned it over too much in the second half, esp during a 5 minute stretch where the lead went from 1-2 to 10-12. We didn't make winning plays. PC did.

MY FT %'s throughout my 4 years:

Soph: 58.1%
Junior: 62.9%
Senior: 66.7%

The truth is it's hard to practice free throws. It's all about repetition, but I don't think sitting at the FT line and shooting hundreds of free throws in a row is useful. I'd rather see a guy shoot two FTs, run up and back and then shoot another two. You want to be out of breath when you shoot FTs to simulate in-game tiredness. I have no doubt our FT shooting will improve. If a big stiff like me can shoot over 60% anyone can

rambone 78 wrote:To those we say we will never be good at FT's because we aren't good shooters:

Bull Dinky. Baron excuse time. Not buying it.

Why do I say that?

Exhibit A: Kris Dunn. He's not a good shooter. But he killed us at the line Wednesday night.

It CAN be done. Guys on many teams have improved at the line as their careers have gone on.

Why haven't any of our guys gotten better at it?

The answer to me is simple. Because they don't want to bad enough. They won't work at it hard enough.

If the coaching staff won't make them practice them enough, THEY have to do it themselves.

Going into the game Wednesday night I believe Kris Dunn was about a 44% FT shooter on the season. He went 8-10 on Wednesday. I am going to go ahead and bet my life on the fact that he did not spend all day Tuesday/Wednesday in between games working harder at FT's and all of a sudden getting better.