Posted by jawbreaker on February 11, 2008 at 6:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I won't call this poll stupid, maybe just a waste of time. Coach Pearl knows what to do about the poor free-throw shooting, and I can only assume he is doing it, so I'll just leave it to him. It is obviously not something that is easily fixed, so maybe recruiting good free-throw shooters in the first place is the key.

Posted by mdvol on February 11, 2008 at 6:59 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Beat everyone by 20.

Posted by BigManVolFan on February 11, 2008 at 7:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I would make it a requirement that each player would have to make 50 or more free throws before he could leave practice or if he doesnt he would have to run stadium steps!

Bet that would improve our pathetic FT shooting!

But I do like mdvol's view....Win by 20 and we have no problem!

Posted by CrankE on February 11, 2008 at 7:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)

If he was CPF, he could hold a 15 minute practice on it and put it on a chart. Worked for the footballa's defense like mofos. Failing that, magic dust.

Posted by murrayvol on February 11, 2008 at 8:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Well jawbreaker, if you won't call this poll stupid, I will. UT is paying Bruce Pearl and his staff roughly $2 mil per year to coach basketball. Their track record says they're pretty damn good at it. When he thinks visitors to this site can help him, I'm sure he'll log on.

Posted by DennisVols on February 11, 2008 at 8:59 p.m. (Suggest removal)

The 20 hours is what the team is allotted. There is nothing against Pearl hinting,to the players, that the players might want to individually practice free throws on their own.
Larry Bird used to go into the gym after practice for hours, throwing the ball off the folded up bleachers to create an in bound pass. He did this to practice receiving the ball and getting lay ups.
These players could do a lot on their own to get better at free throws.

Posted by FireJohnAdams on February 11, 2008 at 9:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)

What should Coach Pearl do? He should ignore stupid polls and silly articles printed in the KNS.

Posted by volfanincarolina on February 11, 2008 at 9:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)

As Rick Barry used to say, "there is no excuse for missing so many foul shots". It is what it is a free shot. Just maybe take some time and practice more on foul shooting. It is easier said than done, but to win the big games come March, the foul shots you got to have. Just ask the Lady Vols.

Posted by capitolc on February 11, 2008 at 9:58 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Coach Pearl - Simple fix

This works every time.

Construct a rim just slightly smaller than a regulation hoop. Have the players practice as normal and simulate game conditions. After a couple of plays have someone go to the "line" on the side of the court with the special hoop and shoot a couple of free throws. Spread it around continue through full practice and when the players concentrate on the smaller hoop they will find that shooting at a bigger hoop during normal games it will psychologically and physically be easier. Take my word - works every time.

Posted by bricker865 on February 11, 2008 at 10:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Maybe they can use hypnosis.

Posted by BillVol on February 11, 2008 at 10:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Get a full-time shooting coach for the team. Or at least a part-time shooting coach. A few NBA teams are doing this and it WORKS! If we have kicking coaches for football, why not shooting coaches for basketball?

Posted by bluetick on February 11, 2008 at 10:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)

This whole thing about FREE THROWS makes me sick to my stomach! The foul line hasn't changed since it began. It's the same stroke. We were required to shoot 50-100 free throws in practice each practice in the 5th grade. I'm 41 years old and havn't played basketball in atleast 4 years now, and I am willing to bet my yearly salary that I can still hit 7 out of 10 free throws to this day. Again, it's the same stroke.

Posted by faithfulvol on February 11, 2008 at 10:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)

one more time......bluetick, since you think you could be 70% free throw shooter, why don't you try to "walk on" and be the difference for this
22-2, conference leading score team?
"We may have free throw woes but we are making 3 point throws." This team and Coach BP has "going on" like UT history has never seen!!! Our guys are playing their hearts out! The other night against LSU we had Smith and Howell sick and Lofton mourning the loss of his grandmother.
Things are GOOD! You'd think from some of these posts we were having a "losing season".

Posted by LargeOrange on February 11, 2008 at 10:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)

practice - after real practice, if you want to be number 1

Posted by chrisw2967 on February 11, 2008 at 11:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)

if we can win our next 2 games this week , we should be #3 next Monday , Texas just beat Knasas.

Posted by yabadabadoo1026 on February 11, 2008 at 11:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)

too much koolaid for you faithfulvol, control yourself-------things may be good but they can always be better and BP is the first to say so-----if Bruce isnt so completely satisfied and content why are you?

Posted by ccantrell on February 12, 2008 at 12:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Make sure that CLO, JSmith, and TSmith are the ones shooting the free throws in the games. Prince, Chism, and R Smith need to stay away from getting fouled. Problem solved....

Posted by thatswhatshesaid on February 12, 2008 at 7 a.m. (Suggest removal)

It a pretty well known fact that if you take a look back at some of the past national championship teams that, the ones who weren't very physical and won had a very high % as a team and your more physical teams i.e florida the last two years were below 70% as a team. So tennessee beats themselves up and is so physical that in the games later stages they just can't seem to sink them, which i will admit is a problem. Lets look on the bright side we have a much better % as a team than does the no.1 team in the country

Posted by jimr07 on February 12, 2008 at 9 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Right. I am sure Bruce Pearl is going to take the advice from the KNS and these posters. So many people know more about it than Bruce. This is the dumbest poll i have ever seen. Whoever wrote this article, real sports writers need coffee made.

Posted by Volfan1 on February 12, 2008 at 11:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)

In a close game in the tourney, free throws do make a difference. Didn't we miss free throws against Ohio State last year? Free throws could make the difference between sweet sixteen and final four. And it could be a reason we can beat Tiger High since they are worse than we are at ft%.

This is a MARVELOUS team. Playing GREAT! But this is one weakness that can be, and should be, corrected if you want to hoist a banner in TBA.

Ignore it? Yeah, that's brilliant.

And bluetick, I'm older than you (probably shorter and heavier) and still could make 70%, too. I've never understood why players can't make freebies. There is a form, a method, to learning. I think Pearl is very capable to teach it.

Posted by armyvol544 on February 12, 2008 at 11:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I have a question? Can a player shoot a jump shot from the foul line as long as he does not go over the line? Is there a rule that says you have to have both feet on the ground? If not, have them shoot jump shots.

Posted by johnlg00 on February 12, 2008 at 12:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)

armyvol544, any style of free throw is legal as long as the shooter doesn't cross the foul line before the ball hits the rim. Many years ago, all-NBA guard Hal Greer routinely shot a jump shot for a free throw and he was very good at it. Before they made it illegal, Wilt Chamberlain used to leap from the foul line to dunk the free throw! That is one reason why he never became a good free throw shooter for all the rest of his career.
capitolc, that is a good suggestion. I also agree with those who said that it is up to the players to put in the extra time to practice it. However, they find the endless routine repetition too boring. Modern players would rather take time in the off-season, when they could be honing their stroke from the foul line, to play pick-up games consisting largely of run-dunk-shoot-the-three. They clearly enjoyed the Rocky Top League last year, largely because it is pick-up ball with refs and scoreboards.

Posted by GreerVol22 on February 12, 2008 at 12:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)

army, not a bad idea..actually, if they backed up about 4 feet behind the arc, they would stand a better chance.

Posted by tnbanker_govols on February 12, 2008 at 12:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Whether we want to admit it or not, free throws have plagued Tennessee the past few years. If you look at the games Tennessee has lost in the past, poor free throw shooting is sure to be a factor. Effective free throw shooting is a must for Championship teams. Free throw shooting is a FUNDAMENTAL in the game of basketball. I've always said that a collegiate basketball athlete ought to make at least 70% of their free throws. If they don't, its usually from lack of practice. Championship teams (no matter what sport) always find a way to successfully execute the fundamentals. If UT wants to be a Championship team or even an Elite 8 or Final 4 team, they must improve on their free throw shooting skills.

SOLUTION:
Start making it mandatory that before a player leaves practice, they must hit 10 or 20 free throws in a row.

Posted by footballfan on February 12, 2008 at 2:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Nothing? Just leave alone or you will make it worse? I know there were several people that voted for that one. So, how do you figure practicing something will make you worse at it? I don't follow. I have played several sports in my life, and when I wasn't good at something I practiced it and tried to get better. It works. I surely didn't just leave it alone and wait for it to come to me. Things like don't happen very frequently. I do not wish to call anyone stupid for there opinion, so please don't take my comments as derogatory in any way. However, the idea that not practicing is a better idea than practicing is a belief founded in pure fantasy. Everything that is done well, playing a sport, an instrument, writing, reading, communication, and on and on and on, all these things require practice. You don't just decide one day, unless you are a very gifted person, to pick up a task and become automatically efficient at it. I respect the opinions of others, I just happen to vastly disagree a large demographic of people on this issue. I know we all want the Vols to continue to improve and I feel that they will do just that. Go Vols.

Posted by vol88 on February 12, 2008 at 2:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)

This is a true story. When I was in junior high, back about 30 years ago, nobody wanted to coach our team, and the HS football coach took the job. He was REALLY old-school. (Imagine Sgt. Carter from Gomer Pyle meets Bear Bryant.) Anyway, one night we really stunk at the line, and it cost us the game. The next day at practice, he comes to the gym with his paddle (remember those?). He carried that paddle during the whole practice while he was running us to death, cussing with every breath. We didn't know what he was going to do with it. At the end of practice, we each shot 25 FTs and he paddled us one lick for every one we missed. Next night out, we probably shot 98% from the line. True story, I swear.

Posted by footballfan on February 12, 2008 at 2:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Nothing? Just leave alone or you will make it worse? I know there were several people that voted for that one. So, how do you figure practicing something will make you worse at it? I don't follow. I have played several sports in my life, and when I wasn't good at something I practiced it and tried to get better. It works. I surely didn't just leave it alone and wait for it to come to me. Things like don't happen very frequently. I do not wish to call anyone stupid for there opinion, so please don't take my comments as derogatory in any way. However, the idea that not practicing is a better idea than practicing is a belief founded in pure fantasy. Everything that is done well, playing a sport, an instrument, writing, reading, communication, and on and on and on, all these things require practice. You don't just decide one day, unless you are a very gifted person, to pick up a task and become automatically efficient at it. I respect the opinions of others, I just happen to vastly disagree with a large demographic of people on this issue. I know we all want the Vols to continue to improve and I feel that they will do just that. Go Vols.

Posted by marc_ash on February 12, 2008 at 2:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)

hit 10 to 20 free throws in a row? hahaha, um ok...how many people do you know that can hit 20 ft's in a row.

Might want to think again about that statement.

Posted by grvol on February 12, 2008 at 2:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)

He should tell Prince to look at the rim prior to and during the shot. Against LSU his eyes were all over the place and only suddenly glanced at the rim as he shot. Have him focus on the rim not the cheerleaders while he is at the line. Ramar seems similarly distracted too while at the line but he has made his lately.

Posted by grvol on February 12, 2008 at 2:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)

He should tell Prince to look at the rim prior to and during the shot. Against LSU his eyes were all over the place and only suddenly glanced at the rim as he shot. Have him focus on the rim not the cheerleaders while he is at the line. Ramar seems similarly distracted too while at the line but he has made his lately.

Posted by grvol on February 12, 2008 at 2:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Focus on the rim not the cheerleaders. Prince looks all over the place before shooting.

Posted by alfrizzle097 on February 12, 2008 at 2:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)

The nothing choice means nothing more than he is doing right now. Pearl says it has been a focus in practice, and the team has gotten better as a whole. The LSU game was an abberation from a trend.

Focus on it too much and you get in your head. People will think about it too much and miss because of it.

So many people thought Lofton was missing threes because the pressure to perform had gotten to him. Perhaps that is what happens to the rest of the team on the free throw line. You do have plenty of time to think about it...

Posted by tnbanker_govols on February 12, 2008 at 2:59 p.m. (Suggest removal)

You're right marc, maybe 20 in a row is a little too much. I retract my previous statement and recommend that we go with the boat paddle instead!! Great post vol88!!!

Posted by chrisw2967 on February 12, 2008 at 2:59 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Prince plays out of control way too much , his main focus is driving to the basketball , which is not a bad ideal but he seems like once he gets there he forgets what hes suppose to do and he falls apart and throws up some wild shot and free throws ? his elbow is out ,no arch and very little rotation at times.
there is ways to get this team to make free throws and these players have to want to get better.

Posted by pdhuff on February 12, 2008 at 5:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)

How about having them practice leaping 3.2" and switching from 2 to 1 finger while airborne?

Works for some.

Posted by General_Watermelon on February 12, 2008 at 7:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)

tnbanker_govols: 20 in a row? Some of those guys will be there all night.

Posted by General_Watermelon on February 12, 2008 at 7:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)

tnbanker_govols - Ramar Smith once missed 12 in a row. Does that count?

Posted by VolCane7979 on February 12, 2008 at 10:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)

43 - 11... Vandy looks dandy. Smoke the cats, baby.

Posted by vol4jesus on February 12, 2008 at 10:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Foolselfmore get a life in negative land the only place you could be discontent to your undelight. Keep to bball and leave other sport with coach you detest out of it. No more mr. misfit please!

Posted by VolCane7979 on February 12, 2008 at 10:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)

What a joke of a poll. Pearl will do whatever the hell he feels like will fix the situation and we will accept it. We're fans, he's the caoch.

Posted by VOLS85 on February 12, 2008 at 11:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I think the better question is "Where will Kentucky be watching UT at in the NCAA tournament in March?" Are you people watching this? They're losing by 41! Where is airforceone when you need him?

Posted by bluetick on February 13, 2008 at 12:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Nice post Vol88. I believe your story. Hiring a FT Coach? Hmmmm.. I'll put in an application for that one. Wonder what it pays. Once you get the stroke, you can shoot them blindfolded. I think the teams doing great, but add on a better % of free throws and some of the games that were close, wouldn't be so close.

Posted by leedsvol2007 on February 13, 2008 at 7:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)

If I were Pearl I would look at each individual that shoots free throws and evaluate his technique.

Its just like golf, everyone that plays golf knows the importance of a routine. Every player should have one that feels natural and they have to practice it in the gym. Watching one player the other day looking away from the basket with his eyes was surprising.

One thing about free throws. Practice simply involves a basketball and a net. You can practice them all day long.

And maybe they ought to talk to some Vols from the late 60's and 70's when Mears was coaching. Almost every player of that era could shoot 70% or better on free throws.

As memory serves England, Johnson, Edwards and Grunfeld shot them in the nineties. Maybe they can pass along some of their knowledge.

We don't have to be great just better.

GoVols!

Posted by johnlg00 on February 13, 2008 at 12:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)

PrivatePartz, unlike in the pros, there are limits to how many paid coaches a college team can have. I am sure there are already coaches on the Vols staff who know something about how to teach shooting. It is ultimately up to the guys to put in the time in the off-season to improve. Of course, it is also somewhat up to the coach to let them know that it is a priority for HIM, so they had BETTER put in some extra practice on it! It is probably too late to do anything about it for the rest of the season, except to emphasize concentration, consistency, and, ironically, relaxation. I know that combination sounds a bit "Zen", but any martial artist would understand what I mean.

Posted by jimr07 on February 13, 2008 at 1:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Foolmore--why in the hell do your bring up your hatred for Fulmer talking about the basketball program. You just can't help taking a dig at Fulmer. I really do pity you.

Posted by jimr07 on February 13, 2008 at 4:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)

foolmore--then why do it.

Posted by jimr07 on February 13, 2008 at 5:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)

foolmore--no, it is not a question i need to ask myself. You are the one that said you pitied people who actually read your posts. My statement then as it is now, if you do not expect people to read them, why post. I do not intend to speak for everyone, oviously, but i cannot understand why in the hell you would on a basketball chat, bring up your hatred for Fulmer. You must really be a lonely person to hide behind the computer and trash a man that you probably do not even know. it is truly frustrating to try and read about tennessee sports and log on here to see your drivel.

KEEP TDTN BANNED