Free Throws, Baby

The Saturday night before the NCAA men’s basketball championships between Memphis and Kansas I was asked if the Jayhawks had a chance and I said sure. As long as they don’t get into a running and gunning battle, slow the game down and put the Tigers on the free throw line, yes, KU would have a chance.

And look what happened.

If Memphis had made another lousy free throw in the last two minutes, they would be celebrating the school’s first national championship instead of crying with towels over their heads.

Did they choke? 

Everybody, now…YES!

Memphis coach John Calipari stated that even though his team is not a good free-throw shooting team, they would make them when it counts.

Next year is as good as any time to start.

Making 50 straight free throws in practice is nice, but you have to make them when it really counts.

Hall of Famer Walt “Clyde” Frazier, on the MSG Network, stated during the Knicks dreadful season, that you make free throws late in the game when you are tired.

Fifty straight means nothing if you can’t make two of them in the last minute with sweat pouring into your eyes and the game on the line.

A lot of college basketball players look to play one year of ball then move on to the pros for the financial reward. Maybe they can’t play defense, maybe they can’t make the mid-range jumper and maybe they can’t make free throws when it counts. That means the players have to see the big picture and hone their game so if and when they make the NBA they can contribute right away and not sit on the bench waiting for garbage minutes.

There re reports making the rounds that the NCAA and the NBA, with the NBA Players Association’s consent, will agree that college basketball players will have to stay in school for two years instead of one.

All the more time to work on those free throws … the one that can make your team a national champion and not free-throw chokers.