The throes of shooting free throws

For some it's an art form, for others not

PROVO — Whenever BYU coach Dave Rose calls out "Cougar drill!" during practice, his players dread what's coming.

Rose divides his players into groups of three and they must make a predetermined number of free throws as part of the drill. When a free throw is missed, that group of players must participate in a grueling series of shuttle runs not-so-affectionately known as a "suicide."

"That's the least favorite drill of them all," guard Lee Cummard said with a grimace on his face. "We don't like it when coach says we have 'Cougar drill.'"

When it comes to free-throw shooting, Rose emphasizes four aspects with his team — repetition, mechanics, dealing with pressure and confidence. Drills, like the "Cougar drill," are designed to help players drill free throws in game situations.

Heaven knows the Cougars need work in that area.

In league contests, they are last in the Mountain West Conference in free-throw shooting — an anemic 54 percent from the line (64 for 117). For the season, it's 64 percent. In BYU's last two games, the Cougars have missed 23 foul shots (out of 51 attempts), though the Cougars won both.

Of course, Rose isn't the only in-state coach emphasizing the importance of free-throw shooting.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, there's Utah State. The Aggies lead the Western Athletic Conference and are No. 3 in the nation in free-throw shooting at 78.3 percent. Individually, guard Jaycee Carroll ranks second in the country at 92.9 percent.

Some players, like Carroll, can make an uncontested shot from 15 feet away from the hoop look easy, almost automatic. It's an artform. For others, like BYU center Trent Plaisted, who's shooting a mere 51 percent from the line, a trip to the line can be an adventure — almost painful to watch.

"All you can do when you go to the line is shoot with confidence," Plaisted said. "I'm not going to worry about free throws. I continue to practice and work on it. But I've just got to shoot with confidence. That's all I can do."

Coaches know that during this time of year, in the heat of conference races filled with emotional and tight games, that the difference between finishing near the top of a league and finishing near the bottom could be determined by a handful of free throws.

As recently as a few weeks ago, Utah ranked No. 10 in the nation in free-throw shooting. However, a spate of missed foul shots at the end of games played a large role in three straight losses to San Diego State, BYU and New Mexico.

"You can analyze the stats any way you want, but if we make our free throws, we win the game," Utah coach Jim Boylen said after falling at New Mexico in overtime. The Utes are shooting 74 percent from the line for the season, but just 66 percent in MWC games.

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