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Memphis’ free throw woes bring advice from all corners 3/20/08

Step right up to the line, Tigers, and see how it’s done
By Ron Higgins
Thursday, March 20, 2008

“They say, ‘They are so bad shooting free throws, they can’t win games.’ We’ve been the same the last three years. What is our record the last three years?”

University of Memphis basketball coach John Calipari probably wouldn’t know Ed Palubinskas if he stood next to him on the free-throw line.

But Palubinskas, documented as one of the world’s best shooting teachers, knows all about Calipari.

He knows that Calipari’s team, the No. 1 seed in the South Regional, is heading into the NCAA Tournament as the worst free-throw shooting squad in the 65-team field. He knows the Tigers, despite shooting 71.7percent in last week’s Conference USA Tournament, are still under 60 percent at 59.6, ranking 326th out of 328 Division 1 teams.

“Calipari kind of jokes that his team makes free throws when it counts,” said Palubinskas, one of the greatest players in Australian history who has devoted most of his 50-plus years to studying and developing the perfect shooting stroke. “He’s got a great team, but how much better would they be if they shot better than 59 percent? I’m Tinkerbell with a magic wand. I’m the surgeon general of shooting coaches all over the world. Give me three days with Calipari and I’ll add 15 percent from the line to the whole team.”

Great moments in free-throw history, Part I: Dr. James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, first established a free-throw rule in 1893. One free throw counted three points and a team was allowed to have one player shoot all of its free throws.

Calipari thinks his team, when analyzed by the news media, is being picked on for its one obvious statistical flaw.

“You look at the numbers and say, ‘They can’t shoot free throws,’” Calipari said. “That’s what they zero in on. It’s almost hysterical.

“They say, ‘They are so bad shooting free throws, they can’t win games.’ We’ve been the same the last three years. What is our record the last three years?”

The record is a jaw-dropping 99-9, with two straight losses in regional finals. Last year, the Tigers shot 62.1 percent from the line for the year, 71.5percent in the NCAA Tournament.

Only two teams in history have won the national championship shooting less than 60 percent from the line for the season (Oklahoma State in 1945, CCNY in 1950).

In fact, since 1985 when the NCAA expanded its postseason tournament to 64 teams, only one team has shot less than 65percent and won the national championship (Connecticut in 2004). Since ‘85, 14 of the 23 national champions have shot 70percent or better for the season.

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Posted by Tug | Filed under Men's Basketball