MBB vs VT 1/22/2025

[gte447f]

Here is an excerpt from a 2009 article:
"Since the mid-1960s, college men’s players have made about 69 percent of free throws, the unguarded 15-foot, 1-point shot awarded after a foul. In 1965, the rate was 69 percent. This season, as teams scramble for bids to the N.C.A.A. tournament, it was 68.8. It has dropped as low as 67.1 but never topped 70.

In the National Basketball Association, the average has been roughly 75 percent for more than 50 years. Players in college women’s basketball and the W.N.B.A. reached similar plateaus — about equal to the men — and stuck there."
Link to source

Since then the average has risen to over 70, with the two highest seasons being the most recent two: 71.4 in 2023 and 71.9 in 2024.

2025 is currently at 71.7.

Great info (assuming it’s correct). Very interesting.

P.s. I love that everyone always says free throws are from 15 feet, even though the stripe is 15 feet from the backboard, but only 13’-9” from the center of the basket and only 13’-0” from the front of the rim.

 

[alagold]

My opinion: There are two types of shots that get shown on highlight videos - dunks and treys. 15-foot jumps shots and FTs are never on SportsCenter. Kids will spend hours trying learn a dunk they saw on TV.

But practicing FTs is not something I spent a lot of time doing alone. My brother caught the ball (hopefully coming through the net) and fed it back to me. Chasing the ball down is not something you want to do while learning to shoot FTs correctly. Today, I would set up a camera and video my FT practices and share them with my coaches. That was not something I could do when I was young and learning to shoot.

One of the real keys to FT shooting is AFTER you have learned the right position and stroke (maybe even a grandma 2 under hand shot), is doing it AFTER you are TIRED.-like in a game. Shooting continous FTs is NOT game conditions.

 

[YlJacket]

Your assumption is the guy actually makes the free throws practicing alone or with coaches in the gym. For some players that never happens. It seems odd though that a person who is athletic enough to play Division 1 College Basketball couldn't become a at least a decent FT shooter.

Big men have issues more often than smaller players. Likely they simply don't shoot nearly as many shots from away from the basket. There are years, likely a decade of playing close to the basket for most big men. That has been changing over time, especially with the Euro Big men.

There are very few low post back to the basket guys coming through AAU basketball anymore. All the big guys are looking to improve their handle and shoot from 15 to 18 feet to 3 point land. That’s the game they play now.

We have at least two bigs who for whatever reason be a confidence or whatever just can’t shoot a damn free throw. Conditioning makes a little difference for the guards at the margin when they get a free throw late in the game I totally agree with that. But that’s not the issue we have. We just got two black holes as far as free throws are concerned.

 

[Tommy_Taylor_1972]

There are very few low post back to the basket guys coming through AAU basketball anymore. All the big guys are looking to improve their handle and shoot from 15 to 18 feet to 3 point land. That’s the game they play now.

We have at least two bigs who for whatever reason be a confidence or whatever just can’t shoot a damn free throw. Conditioning makes a little difference for the guards at the margin when they get a free throw late in the game I totally agree with that. But that’s not the issue we have. We just got two black holes as far as free throws are concerned.

Kareem shot 62% in college. Wilt 62%, mostly underhanded, Bill Russell 55%. Very few centers did much better, except Tech's Rich Yunkus at 79% and Kentucky's Dan Issel at 74% back in my day. I can't say about 6-9 Lebron James, because he did not go to college and never played center. But as a NBA point guard, he shoots 74%. I am not surprised big men do not shoot free throws well today. That just has to be figured into the game plan if you don't have a Yunkus or James.

 

[YlJacket]

FWIW jokovic shoots over 80 % too. Some bigs can shoot free throws - some are Shaq

 

[awbuzz]

Great info (assuming it’s correct). Very interesting.

P.s. I love that everyone always says free throws are from 15 feet, even though the stripe is 15 feet from the backboard, but only 13’-9” from the center of the basket and only 13’-0” from the front of the rim.

Bam! Dropping facts

 

[MacDaddy2]

Bam! Dropping facts

Improving the FT percentage by 5%, from 57% to 72%, would raise the Jackets FT ranking from 308 to 170. However, that would only increase scoring by 1 point per game. This would make one surmise that the number of FT attempts per game may be more important than the actual FT%.

 

[AUFC]

Improving the FT percentage by 5%, from 57% to 72%, would raise the Jackets FT ranking from 308 to 170. However, that would only increase scoring by 1 point per game. This would make one surmise that the number of FT attempts per game may be more important than the actual FT%.

We aren’t a team that really gets to the free throw line an enormous amount. Not the highest free throw rate but not the lowest either. It’d obviously be nice to shoot free throws better but it doesn’t make or break the team.

 

[gte447f]

RE: Free throw shooting percentage, think about this (I just did for the first time, so bear with me). If you estimate each FTA as 0.5 possessions, then you only have to shoot 50% to average 1 point per possession, which is considered average overall and is equivalent to shooting 50% from 2 and 33% from 3. If you shoot 60% on FT, that’s equal to 1.2 points per possession which is very good overall, and is equivalent to shooting 60% from 2 and 40% from 3. You can keep going from there.

Basically, what this shows us is that scoring from the free throw line is an efficient way to score as long as you’re above 50%. At 60% it’s a very efficient way to score, and I would say above 70% or so, it’s unmatched from an efficiency standpoint.

Estimating each FTA as 0.5 possessions might actually be conservative. It’s common to use 0.44 possessions/FTA when estimating number of possessions from box score data, which makes free throw shooting an even more efficient way to score. The 0.44 is supposedly based on crunching the numbers over the long haul and accounts for the long term distribution of various free throw shooting scenarios, like 2-shot shooting fouls, and-1 shooting fouls, 1-and-1 when the the first shot is missed/made, etc.

I think it’s an interesting way to consider free throw shooting percentage. Any thoughts?

ETA: if this beginner stuff for all you gurus, then just forget I said anything.

 

[ESPNjacket]

Improving the FT percentage by 5%, from 57% to 72%, would raise the Jackets FT ranking from 308 to 170. However, that would only increase scoring by 1 point per game. This would make one surmise that the number of FT attempts per game may be more important than the actual FT%.

This is why FT percentage has a low correlation to winning games. If we had the lead more often the opposing team would be fouling the ball handlers (Nait and McC) who shoot them well. Since we are often behind late, that doesn't happen much.

 

[forensicbuzz]

Kareem shot 62% in college. Wilt 62%, mostly underhanded, Bill Russell 55%. Very few centers did much better, except Tech's Rich Yunkus at 79% and Kentucky's Dan Issel at 74% back in my day. I can't say about 6-9 Lebron James, because he did not go to college and never played center. But as a NBA point guard, he shoots 74%. I am not surprised big men do not shoot free throws well today. That just has to be figured into the game plan if you don't have a Yunkus or James.

Wilt only shot underhanded 1 season. His FT% was the highest that year. His 100 point game he made 28 of 32 FT. The next year he went back to the traditional style and his FT% went back to what it was. He couldn’t handle the razzing he got. Barry never cared. He only cared about winning.

His career average was 51.1%.

 

[GTJackets]

Improving the FT percentage by 5%, from 57% to 72%, would raise the Jackets FT ranking from 308 to 170. However, that would only increase scoring by 1 point per game. This would make one surmise that the number of FT attempts per game may be more important than the actual FT%.

 

[MacDaddy2]

oops 67 to 72