Alabama Basketball: 5 items on the holiday wishlist for the Crimson Tide
By Dakota Cox
2. Better numbers from the free throw line
The Tide will be in plenty of close games once the SEC portion of their schedule begins, and they are going to have to do better in those games than they did last year. When a game gets close, the little things matter. The Tide has to focus on the fundamentals: limiting turnovers, taking good shots, and sinking free throws. Free throws are what will be most important moving forward.
Something as simple as free throws can mean more than the value of their points. They can keep the momentum from spiraling in the wrong direction. When things get tough, seeing a shot go in the basket means more than just the point. Right now, the Tide are shooting 68.8 percent on their free throws. That is a below-average mark but it is mostly because they go on streaks. In wins, they can shoot the lights out. In losses, they can’t get out of the rut.
Their best free throw shooter in the starting lineup is Kira Lewis and he shoots 83 percent on only 3.3 shots a game. Their highest shooters by volume are Herb Jones and Dazon Ingram, shooting over 4.5 free throws a game. However, Jones is only making 42.9 percent of his attempts. If you are going to lead the team in attempts a game, you have to be making much more than half of those attempts.
If Santa can give the team not only more attempts but more percentage points from the line, then the season might turn around. If the Tide find coal in their stocking (or bricks, if we’re sticking to the analogy of shooting free throws), it will be a long season.