Tolu Smith at the line

[mstateglfr]

FR- 57.1% from the line
SO- 58.9% from the line
JR- 65% from the line
SR- 58.8% from the line

So far this season- 20-24 for 83.3% from the line.

That sort of improvement late in a college career just doesnt happen often. Its only been 3 games, but he is a totally different player from the line than he was in past seasons.
And whats really cool is that he is getting to the line more frequently per game this season than he has in any prior season- so taking more FTs and making a higher % too.

 

[johnson86-1]

FR- 57.1% from the line
SO- 58.9% from the line
JR- 65% from the line
SR- 58.8% from the line

So far this season- 20-24 for 83.3% from the line.

That sort of improvement late in a college career just doesnt happen often. Its only been 3 games, but he is a totally different player from the line than he was in past seasons.
And whats really cool is that he is getting to the line more frequently per game this season than he has in any prior season- so taking more FTs and making a higher % too.

Normally I would bet anything on it being a blip, but surely he had plenty of time rehabbing where he couldn’t do much other than shoot free throws. Maybe he figured something out.

 

[Chesusdog]

Normally I would bet anything on it being a blip, but surely he had plenty of time rehabbing where he couldn’t do much other than shoot free throws. Maybe he figured something out.

That was my thinking. That was something he could have worked on while waiting for his body to rehab.

 

[mstateglfr]

Normally I would bet anything on it being a blip, but surely he had plenty of time rehabbing where he couldn’t do much other than shoot free throws. Maybe he figured something out.

Yeah, its only 3 games so he could regress to the mean in these last 2 months of regular season games. But he looks comfortable and confident at the line in each game and he was solid even during the UT game where he was visibly tired and under pressure.
Really hope he worked thru whatever the issue(s) have been and he can feel this success for the rest of the season.

 

[stateu1]

Yeah, its only 3 games so he could regress to the mean in these last 2 months of regular season games. But he looks comfortable and confident at the line in each game and he was solid even during the UT game where he was visibly tired and under pressure.
Really hope he worked thru whatever the issue(s) have been and he can feel this success for the rest of the season.

And the ones he missed last night were in line, but just short.

 

[jethreauxdawg]

FR- 57.1% from the line
SO- 58.9% from the line
JR- 65% from the line
SR- 58.8% from the line

So far this season- 20-24 for 83.3% from the line.

That sort of improvement late in a college career just doesnt happen often. Its only been 3 games, but he is a totally different player from the line than he was in past seasons.
And whats really cool is that he is getting to the line more frequently per game this season than he has in any prior season- so taking more FTs and making a higher % too.

Glad you posted this. I hadn’t looked up stats but I thought he had made tremendous improvement. His technique looks very different this year. The shot has arch. In years past it looked like he was just shoving the ball towards the rim.

 

[HRMSU]

Yeah, its only 3 games so he could regress to the mean in these last 2 months of regular season games. But he looks comfortable and confident at the line in each game and he was solid even during the UT game where he was visibly tired and under pressure.
Really hope he worked thru whatever the issue(s) have been and he can feel this success for the rest of the season.

Yes, felt like the ones he missed short last night were due to fatigue. It's promising as much as we are going to count on him and how much he'll get fouled.

 

[57stratdawg]

Good to see, but still dealing with a reasonably small sample size.

He’s a really skilled big guy though. We can ride Hubbard & Tolu’s inside out game along way in March.

A little worried about Hubbard’s legs late in the season.

 

[Walkthedawg]

FR- 57.1% from the line
SO- 58.9% from the line
JR- 65% from the line
SR- 58.8% from the line

So far this season- 20-24 for 83.3% from the line.

That sort of improvement late in a college career just doesnt happen often. Its only been 3 games, but he is a totally different player from the line than he was in past seasons.
And whats really cool is that he is getting to the line more frequently per game this season than he has in any prior season- so taking more FTs and making a higher % too.

his misses were short last night. I’d say fatigue was a major factor in that.

 

[msudawg12]

The biggest thing that can be a difference maker on top of his FT% improvement will be if he can get a lot of those shots to fall that he is getting fouled on to get the 3 point play. That has always been one thing that didnt seem to happen and with his previously poor FT shooting, those potential 3 point plays were coming away with 0-1....
If some of those fall and his FT% stays up, it fundamentally changes our games

 

[MSUDC11-2.0]

That was my thinking. That was something he could have worked on while waiting for his body to rehab.

I remember something similar happening with Craig Sword one year. Dude was a good slasher but couldn’t make a jump shot. He got hurt one offseason (back injury maybe?) and could only practice shooting jumpers, and low and behold he was a much better player when he got back to full strength.

 

[Ozarkdawg]

The biggest thing that can be a difference maker on top of his FT% improvement will be if he can get a lot of those shots to fall that he is getting fouled on to get the 3 point play. That has always been one thing that didnt seem to happen and with his previously poor FT shooting, those potential 3 point plays were coming away with 0-1....
If some of those fall and his FT% stays up, it fundamentally changes our games

And possibly his rookie $$$ numbers next year

 

[OopsICroomedmypants]

I've always said there really is no excuse to shoot free throws poorly unless you have broken wrists. Practice and coaching is all it takes. Most players don't practice enough IMO.

 

[LordMcBuckethead]

FR- 57.1% from the line
SO- 58.9% from the line
JR- 65% from the line
SR- 58.8% from the line

So far this season- 20-24 for 83.3% from the line.

That sort of improvement late in a college career just doesnt happen often. Its only been 3 games, but he is a totally different player from the line than he was in past seasons.
And whats really cool is that he is getting to the line more frequently per game this season than he has in any prior season- so taking more FTs and making a higher % too.

If he shot 83.3% from the line last year he would have averaged maybe 4-6 pts a game better, which would have got him drafted.

 

[LordMcBuckethead]

And the ones he missed last night were in line, but just short.

His legs were exhausted.

 

[DoggieDaddy13]

All I know is that guy hit several really good shots last night. And that last one was not only clutch, he was 17n monster!
And he got that 'and one.'

 

[eckie1]

FR- 57.1% from the line
SO- 58.9% from the line
JR- 65% from the line
SR- 58.8% from the line

So far this season- 20-24 for 83.3% from the line.

That sort of improvement late in a college career just doesnt happen often. Its only been 3 games, but he is a totally different player from the line than he was in past seasons.
And whats really cool is that he is getting to the line more frequently per game this season than he has in any prior season- so taking more FTs and making a higher % too.

Just in time for the Bammer game, whose strategy last season was to hack him to death and make him miss FTs. Would be poetic to see him turn that about this time.

 

[DawgatAuburn]

If he shot 83.3% from the line last year he would have averaged maybe 4-6 pts a game better, which would have got him drafted.

Zach Edey averaged north of 22 ppg and shot about 75% from the line in winning national POY last year.....and came back to school. The NBA is just not a game for big men with their skill sets. I hope Tolu gets a shot at it though and finds his way onto a roster.