I’m not sure what it is with Pittsburgh basketball teams, specifically Pitt and Duquesne. I’m not sure if it’s the type of player each program recruits, the coaching style in practice, or something else. But both teams are just struggling from the charity stripe this season, and for Duquesne, it probably cost them the game last Saturday against Dayton. Pitt, who has historically struggled from the line under Jamie Dixon, is shooting around 71 percent from the line this year. Their 18 of 28 against Florida State on Sunday was a subject of frustration for fans.
You would think Duquesne would learn from their cross-town rivals and emphasize free throw shooting more. But on the year, Jim Ferry’s club is shooting a mere 66.9 percent. This is an alarming statistic, to say the least. And when you consider the number of games that came down to the final minute of play, free throw percentage looks even more important.
In basketball, there is no statistic that is more overlooked by amateurs than free throw percentage. Although the free throw is one of the many things in basketball that can be practiced as long as you have a ball and a hoop, free throw shooting is unique in one aspect. There will never be another time in a game where you have no hands in your face, a stoppage of the clock, and no chance for a defender to block your shot. The only thing you have to worry about is letting the student section get into your head, if you are on the visiting team. Thus, the skill can be worked on through repetition until it is mastered, even perfected, and no Division 1 college basketball player (who is essentially getting paid to work on his game) should have any excuse to shoot poorly. Yet Pitt and Duquesne still don’t shoot well from the line as a team.
Free throw shooting is important at any time, but its importance is magnified late in games, when fouling increases. Duquesne’s poor shooting moments have come in the late stages of games multiple times this year, at crucial moments.
Perhaps the most memorable occurrence was the last-second win against St. Bonaventure at home. Duquesne was lucky to come out of this one on top, as Derrick Colter hit a buzzer shot that wouldn’t have gone in nine times out of ten. It would have been up to the Bonnies to hit a miracle shot if Colter had converted on two free throw attempts with seconds left in the game. Instead, he missed both with four seconds left.
Not to put the spotlight on Colter, but the sophomore point guard had another chance to give his team an edge when Duquesne faced the Bonnies on the road. When St. Bonaventure’s Mathew Wright scored with just 33 seconds to go to put his team up two, Colter got fouled on a drive on the ensuing possession, but missed both free throws with 17 seconds left. Duquesne’s failure to tie the game ruined any chance of the game going to overtime and the Dukes pulling out a crucial road win.
It isn’t just Colter who is missing free throws this season. In fact, he is third on the team among players that average over 10 minutes per game, shooting 72.3 percent. Mason is first, shooting 82.4 percent. But unfortunately, five of Duquesne’s top eight players are shooting below 70 percent.
Ironically, Ovie Soko is on that list. The star forward, whose ability to get to the free throw line is the best feature of his game, is only shooting 67.3 percent. At 254 attempts, no one on the team has anywhere near half as many tries as him. Someone who shoots that much is going to miss a lot more shots, but Soko has noticeably struggled this season – too much for a player with as great an outside shot as him.
Duquesne may have shot 4 of 27 in the second half last Saturday against Dayton, a dismal number to say the least. But the dingy numbers could have been a subject of humor for Ferry after the game if it weren’t for a few crucial misses from the free throw line late. Duquesne shot eight free throws in the final four minutes of the game, but missed five of them. Soko, who went 3 for 8 in the final 3:43, was on the line for each of these misses. Had Soko made just three more of these shots, the game could have taken a much different turn.
Someone like Soko, who makes a living by getting to the free throw line, should be making a much higher percentage of shots than he is currently. And to all Division 1 basketball players in the city of Pittsburgh shooting below 70 percent, there really is no excuse for shooting this poorly.
Photo Credit: Duquesne Athletics
