No, that is not the score. Those are the free throw percentages from last night’s game.
The point score was 59 – 51, an eight point margin. Four of those came within the last 30 seconds when Illinois was fouling and the Spartans were making their free throws. The Illini missed 10 from the charity stripe – Michigan State missed one.
This is the story of this game, the story of Illinois’ season.
I used to think that free throw shooting only mattered in close games and you shouldn’t let the games that close. I also assumed that bad free throw shooting in Division 1 is temporary, it varies from game to game, and when you are a scholarship player, it will come, you just have to practice and relax.
Wrong. This year was lost at the charity stripe. Three losses came in overtime, six other losses within six points, and only three losses had a margin outside of the number of missed free throws. If we have been shooting free throws around a respectable 65-70%, we would have 7 to 8 more wins this year.
My Illini have played their hearts out in many close games, only to see it slip away at the free throw line. You can only lose so many close ones before it starts wearing on your confidence. Every time you leave it on the floor and lose, it becomes more difficult to play hard in the next game.
Losing an entire season on free throws is inexcusable. If you can play some of the best teams in the country close enough that free throws matter, you are good enough to become one of them.
When you shoot free throws, there is no defender in front of you. You don’t need to chuck up a shot in the nick of time, you don’t need to catch and shoot. The spot, the distance is standard, the basket is always orange and the net is always white. It should be routine, no thought involved, something ingrained you have practiced so often. If you are playing Division 1 basketball on a scholarship, you better do whatever it takes to get there.
F is the grade for this season. F for failing. F for free throws. Effin eff for frustration. And F for still being a fan in foul weather.
In ordinary seasons, these would be cupcake games.
