You left out the Alabama game free throws. It was 96-127 for 76% following that game. In the games that followed our free throw rate is 82%.
If we had made our free throws in the Alabama game at 82% we win the game.
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Illinois 73, Penn State 65 Postgame
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If we had made our free throws in the Alabama game at 82% we win the game.
Yes, so the percentage before the game and after the game are nearly identical.
Here’s the whole point of what we are saying: complaining about it being an ongoing issue that needed “fixed” was absolutely unnecessary.
It’s just a huge, unnecessary overreaction to a single game sample. Like the other guy said, pretty common around here and not really a big deal.
Exactly. Did not include the Alabama game because the whole point is our free throw percentage has been pretty amazing outside of that one singular game (before it as well as after it).
And I disagree with the argument. If we shot free throws better we win that game. After that game we shot free throws better. I don't see what goes on in practices, but when I see both coaches and the media say if the Illini made their free throws they win the game, I'm gonna assume they practiced their free throws.
It was worse in the Tennessee game
No one argued that better free throw shooting wouldn’t have won the game. Full agreement there.
Sample size / how many attempts? (14)
Compared to the number of attempts we have as baseline data for the entire season (314)
There was never a trend of bad free throw shooting. Thats not a controversial statement.
That's irrelevant to that specific comment. He said our FT% has been amazing outside the Alabama game. I responded by saying it was worse in the Tennessee game. And the thread was disingenuous when I said our FT% improved since the Alabama game and he specifically left out the Alabama game when calculating the before/after.
I also suggested at the time following the Alabama game that the Illini might have a bright-lights problem when it comes to free throw shooting. This season in Q1 games our FT% is 75%. In all other games it's 82%. I consider a 7% difference in FT% meaningful.
An even smaller sample
That occurred 3 weeks after the Alabama game when “it needed fixed”… so was it fixed, or just another isolated single game sample size?
blackdog
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BEFORE that game they shot free throws well. So really the only issue is that during this ONE game they didnt shoot them well.
Also probably not your intention but your statement makes it sounds like you think they dont normally practice free throws. Or don't normally practice free throws in high pressure/fatigued states. Either idea would be very silly because of course they do.
Again sample size is irrelevant when you called out a specific game.
Sample size is never irrelevant
You just refuse to digest the entire point which is that it was never anything to be super concerned about because we were shooting 79% before the game and 81% after it
How I feel reading this
Your comment was "Did not include the Alabama game because the whole point is our free throw percentage has been pretty amazing outside of that one singular game (before it as well as after it)." I responded with a singular game in which the free throw percentage was worse.
I was not stating sample size is irrelevant when discussing the overall topic (although we may disagree on the required sample size to draw a conclusion), but for that specific comment, sample size is irrelevant.
I was not stating sample size is irrelevant when discussing the overall topic (although we may disagree on the required sample size to draw a conclusion), but for that specific comment, sample size is irrelevant.
You're arguing with a troll. Or a wall.
Or someone that can't understand that we are one of the best FT shooting teams in the country but even the best FT shooting teams have off nights.
I've had this person blocked for a long time and this just confirms why.
Or someone that can't understand that we are one of the best FT shooting teams in the country but even the best FT shooting teams have off nights.
I've had this person blocked for a long time and this just confirms why.
I feel like if we got with the times and got a Loyalty Discord going then some of these debates could be handled a lot quicker hahaI'm gonna go ahead and exit this one before people start yelling at me
It’s a rather ridiculous discussion overall. But Illinois played 3 days after the Alabama game.
Are you of the opinion that practicing and “coaching free throws” over the course of 3 days is what led to a dramatic improvement? (Even though it was merely just a small sample size)
If so, and shooting is that easy to fix, then every basketball team ever would never miss a shot. This is nonsensical
I think this whole back and forth about 7% points is wild and of course if the Illini make 5 more free throws, they win the Alabama game, BUT there actually a really cool higher correlation between FT attempts and winning than there is FT % / FT Makes and winning. It's interesting if you deep dive. Good teams get to the FT line more. Usually because they're more athletic and get fouled more. But think about it this way, if you shoot 75% and make 15-20, is it better to shoot 80% and make 8/10? Clearly you'd rather have 15 points than 8 points. Just an interesting tidbit in the midst of this... discussion. Lol
Yeah, the whole thing is silly. For me the silly part is that FT% percentage has not been a consistent problem where you can point to it as the culprit in any of our losses except for one. I believe the NCAA average for FT% is typically around 70%. In the Bama game we shot 59% - below average. In the Nebraska game we shot 70% - right about average. In the UConn game, we had our single best FT% night of the season, shooting 94.4%, and still had our biggest margin of defeat of the season.
The Alabama game was a clear example of an outlier game as far as FT%. In any season for any team, there will be outliers. Unfortunately it was also a close game we lost. That happens sometimes. FWIW, if we had made 16/22 instead of 13/22, that would have been 72.7%, which would be slightly above average for a college basketball team and right around what the National Champion Florida Gators averaged last season (they were at 72.8%). And it still would not have been good enough to win us that game.
I think that is incorrect. It "boils down" to the fact that it is early in the season for a half-new team Lots and lots of talented but "new" teams are still actively engaged in trying to establish a basis for success this year.
In other words: the cake is still baking and there is a lot of uncertainty about our cake, just as for others.
In other words: the cake is still baking and there is a lot of uncertainty about our cake, just as for others.
A high major team should be able to overcome doubling in the paint of TWO guys, when said high major team has as much perimeter shooting capability as the Fighting Illini have.
Yet with that ostentatious offensive rating, we are 2-1 in conference play and 5-3 against high major competition to this point. Good, but perhaps not what a #4-rated offense would predict.
I don't know about this, though I am sympathetic. Tomi's role is very different from the one he had last year. He has not adapted, it seems (which has not been helped by his knee and tonsil issues earlier in the season). I agree, that for this team to reach its potential that Tomi will have to provide much more. But ... I realize it is January ... there is time for this (now veteran) center to turn the corner. We need that to happen.
I share your degree of conviction, though not the specifics. Posters post without understanding. Hmmm .... I wonder to whom that might NOT apply? Think it over.
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