Final 4 Run: Canes Hit ‘Freebies’ to Survive & Advance
Article photo of Miami's Isaiah Wong versus Indiana during the second round of the NCAA Tournament; photo credit to Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports
The Miami Hurricanes have knocked in their free throws to win four NCAA Tournament games
With all of the athletic dribbling displays, spin moves and dunks, the Miami Hurricanes have reached the Final Four to play the Connecticut Huskies by hitting the simple free throw as much as anything else.
Sometimes called freebies by players, coaches and commentators alike, the simple and mundane 15-foot shot has helped change many games over the course of basketball history.
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Ask former Syracuse freshman forward Derrick Coleman, who barely grazed the rim when he missed a critical 1-and-1 attempt during the last minute of the 1987 national title game that opened the door for former Hoosiers legend Keith Smart to drill the game-winning baseline jumper that’s often replayed during tournament time.
On the flip side, there’s Duke’s Christian Laettner. He was a player that has been revered for his calm demeanor when he shot free throws in crunch time.
During the 1991 Final Four semi-final, Laettner lined up and knocked down 9 of 11 from the line to help the Duke upset No.1 ranked UNLV 79-77 before continuing on to beat Kansas 72-65 to win the title two days later.
As with past history, Miami’s foul shooting has been a prominent reason they, too, have reached the pinnacle of college basketball. Overall, here’s what Miami has done.
Under the direction of head coach Jim Larrañaga, the Canes connected on 519 of 665 from the foul line this season, good for hitting 78.1% of their free throw attempts. That’s ranked them at No. 11 nationally.
Breaking down Miami’s free throw statistics through the first four rounds of the NCAA Tournament shows even better shooting from three of the four games, and a better total percentage overall:
Drake: 23/29, 79.3%
Indiana: 8/13, 61.5%
Houston: 16/19, 84.2%
Texas: 28/32, 87.5%
Total: 75/93, 80.6%
Looking at Miami’s top shooters from the foul line, it’s also good to note that the four primary ball handlers have done well during the tournament. Here are their foul shooting numbers since the NCAA Tournament started:
Nijel Pack
: Drake (2/2), Indiana (0/0), Houston (3/4), and Texas (2/2); Total: 7/8, 87.5%
Isaiah Wong
: Drake (4/4), Indiana (5/5), Houston (9/11), and Texas (4/4); Total: 22/24, 91.7%
Wooga Poplar
: Drake (3/4), Indiana (0/0), Houston (0/0), and Texas (3/4); Total: 6/8, 75%
Jordan Miller
: Drake (3/4), Indiana (1/3), Houston (2/2), and Texas (13/13); Total: 19/22, 86.4%
The four players combined: 54/62, 87.1%
Additionally, this incredible run by Miami may not have happened without big man Norchad Omier having drained 8 of 9 against Drake, good for 88.9%.
He’s also gone 1/2 against Indiana, 2/2 versus Houston, and 3/3 versus Texas for a total of 14/16 for 87.5%. When a team’s 6-foot-7 and 250-pound bruiser shoots like that from the line, it’s a tremendous advantage.
Overall, to say that the Canes have connected on the majority of their freebies would be an understatement. It’s also not out of the way to say that those makes from the foul line helped Miami reach the 2023 NCAA Final Four.
Where would the Canes be without hitting those uncontested shots when they were trailing each of Drake, Indiana, Houston, and Texas during the second half?
Indeed, Miami’s excellent free throw shooting has aided them in reaching college basketball’s biggest stage.
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