The bond between fan and team is a strong one. It’s comparable to Gorilla Glue or cement. There’s a special place reserved in the hearts of fanatics everywhere for Marquette basketball.
The relationship is being tested, though.
There’s a pain lingering in fanatics’ hearts. A nagging ache causing many an immense amount of frustration. This unspeakable pain happens every time the Marquette men’s basketball team misses a free throw on the court.
Whether it’s the pressure or just a mental blunder, it really sucks when you miss free points. Sometimes, in a relationship, there has to be tough love. So c’mon guys, just make your free throws.
So far this season, the team is shooting only 69.8 percent from the free throw line. With the nailbiters Marquette has consistently found itself in this season, a little more practice could “be the difference” between disappointment and greatness.
To be fair, the team only missed two free throws in a five-point loss at Notre Dame on Saturday. Its leaders — senior forward Jimmy Butler, junior guard Darius Johnson-Odom and senior guard Dwight Buycks — all shoot 70 percent or better.
But the team has missed enough free throws, including the front end of one-and-ones in late-game situations, to cause alarm.
It’s time for coach Buzz Williams to change his rule against devoting practice time to free throws. Or at least require players to shoot them on their own time.
Marquette missed six free throws in a one-point loss to Vanderbilt in December. This month, Louisville was able to make a comeback from down 18. While it iced the win by making two free throws with 24.4 seconds left, The Golden Eagles missed 10 free throws in that heartbreaker.
Those games were not necessarily lost at the free throw line, but they definitely could have been won.
Shooting free throws is arguably 40 percent ability and 60 percent confidence. The simplicity of it can trick you. Free throws are like a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
In a 2008 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article, Buzz Williams told players that shooting free throws is all about toughness and it’s all in their heads.
You’re right, Buzz. Shooting free throws does come down to knowing you can make the shot. But you only know you can do it if you’ve been practicing.
Repetition is key. The more time you spend working on one skill, the better you’ll become. Hopefully, the team will put more emphasis on free throws in practice or individual workouts, and we’ll be able put them up with no problem again.
Let’s stop missing out on free points. Let’s be the team that clinches the game at the free throw line.
