Finding the Free-Throw Line a Challenge for Utes
Seems pretty clear that coach Jim Boylen feels as if his team is getting jobbed at the free-throw line.
When asked the other day about how few free-throws his team shoots, he had virtually the same reaction that he did after the Utes lost to Brigham Young last weekend -- when he did not say anything for a several seconds, then took a swig of water and asked for another question.
"You're opening up a whole can of worms for me," he said Monday.
That's code for not wanting to get in trouble for complaining about the officiating.
But he did provide part of an answer, this time, saying that "it's a combination of us not having the speed and quickness in the paint to have people separate from the defense, but also on the defensive end, our physicality is getting [other teams] to the penalty earlier."
"I'll let you figure out the rest," he added.
While Boylen might have a beef with how referees are calling fouls when the Utes are on defense, it seems somewhat disingenuous to be annoyed at the refs when the players seldom provide any reason to make a call. Obviously, Boylen himself essentially acknowledged that the Utes are mostly a jump-shooting team that seldom attacks the basket -- and you're not going to get many calls when your 7-foot-1 center, for example, fades away from the hoop almost every time he shoots it.
So it will be interesting to see what the Utes manage tonight against the Lobos.
The Utes have shot more than 11 free throws only once in the last five games, and that came against the vastly undersized Air Force Falcons. In fact, the Utes generally have shot the most free throws against the teams that they are expected to dominate -- USC Upstate, High Point, Air Force, Missouri State, Idaho State -- and far fewer against teams that are closer to their level.
Predictably, the Utes also shoot fewer free throws on the road. They have averaged only 6.6 free-throw attempts in their five games away from the Huntsman Center since the NIT Season Tip-Off tournament in Seattle in November.
When asked the other day about how few free-throws his team shoots, he had virtually the same reaction that he did after the Utes lost to Brigham Young last weekend -- when he did not say anything for a several seconds, then took a swig of water and asked for another question.
"You're opening up a whole can of worms for me," he said Monday.
That's code for not wanting to get in trouble for complaining about the officiating.
But he did provide part of an answer, this time, saying that "it's a combination of us not having the speed and quickness in the paint to have people separate from the defense, but also on the defensive end, our physicality is getting [other teams] to the penalty earlier."
"I'll let you figure out the rest," he added.
While Boylen might have a beef with how referees are calling fouls when the Utes are on defense, it seems somewhat disingenuous to be annoyed at the refs when the players seldom provide any reason to make a call. Obviously, Boylen himself essentially acknowledged that the Utes are mostly a jump-shooting team that seldom attacks the basket -- and you're not going to get many calls when your 7-foot-1 center, for example, fades away from the hoop almost every time he shoots it.
So it will be interesting to see what the Utes manage tonight against the Lobos.
The Utes have shot more than 11 free throws only once in the last five games, and that came against the vastly undersized Air Force Falcons. In fact, the Utes generally have shot the most free throws against the teams that they are expected to dominate -- USC Upstate, High Point, Air Force, Missouri State, Idaho State -- and far fewer against teams that are closer to their level.
Predictably, the Utes also shoot fewer free throws on the road. They have averaged only 6.6 free-throw attempts in their five games away from the Huntsman Center since the NIT Season Tip-Off tournament in Seattle in November.
posted by www.sltrib.com @ 4:48 PM |
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