One great trend in Husky BB

[DobbsRover2]

UConn has its top two FT line visitors, Tiffany Hayes and KML, shooting over 80% this year, and Stef Dolson the 5th most active line-toer is also above 80%, and 0.1% behind Hayes for the best percentage. They are part of a continuing upsurge in Husky shooting over the last few years and to a smaller extent during the 2000s. Last year's team set the Husky all-time record at 76.5%, and this year's team is currently in 3rd at 75.5%, 0.1% behind the 1980-81 team. The 2009-10 NC champs stand in 5th place, and the 2008-09 champs are 6th.

Geno's first winning team in his second season in 1986-87 have the 4th best percentage, but the following years through the 90s were an era of generally more haphazard shooting, and the first NC winners in 1995 were not particularly adept FT shooters. At some point, all those practice drills at the line really began to sink in for the Huskies. They get an average of 3 more points from the FT line than opponents in games this year, a nice advantage in close games. And since KY fouls so much, this could be a very big factor on Tuesday night.

 

[sarals24]

I remember Geno saying one time on his show that the teams he's had where they've shot lots of free throws in practice tended to shoot poorly from the line in games, and vice versa...the ones who never practiced them in practice shot well in games. Who knows?