MBB vs Louisiana, Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, 4:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+, Holmes Center, Bobby Marlin searches again for Nemo

[Bootsy]

I think a big key in the win was our rotation all game, especially in the first. ULL looked very tired late and they started missing shots. We looked fresher due to all the players who played. Kerns stuck with it and it paid off, that and mega bombs from 3 late.

Added to that...Kerns has appeared to be more adaptable with rotation based upon what is going well. That helps when you can go 8 or 9 deep. For the last few games, 0 has sat for extended minutes, another game 24...and yesterday it was 23.
As a fan, it was great to see the players on the bench mobbing 4 when he came off the floor after some big scores....=team chemistry

I love the mutual support these young men show one another through good times and tough ones. They aren't easily rattled and stay loose when playing from behind. That doesn't happen unless there is mutual respect and trust among the players and coaches.

It's apparent this squad has a rock solid belief that they can (and will) beat anyone they play. Belief is a powerful thing.

[appgrad95&97]

Our best game from the FT line. Excellent job men.

Indeed a great job to improve. Let's just hope this was not a single good game and we continue to see this. If we keep it up then we can be a very dangerous team in the postseason.

UVa beat Wake going 1-11 from the free throw line.

[AppinVA]

Our best game from the FT line. Excellent job men.

Indeed a great job to improve. Let's just hope this was not a single good game and we continue to see this. If we keep it up then we can be a very dangerous team in the postseason.

UVa beat Wake going 1-11 from the free throw line.

They hit their last one. I was pulling for them to win by going 0-11, but to no avail.

[Bigdaddyg1]

Our best game from the FT line. Excellent job men.

Indeed a great job to improve. Let's just hope this was not a single good game and we continue to see this. If we keep it up then we can be a very dangerous team in the postseason.

UVa beat Wake going 1-11 from the free throw line.

They hit their last one. I was pulling for them to win by going 0-11, but to no avail.

Some will still want to argue that had we shot 4-17 yesterday we would have lost and that would have been the reason and not a contributing factor.

[RaleighApp27609]

All if this is well and good but you're missing the bigger question: did Coach Marlin find Nemo at the HCC?

[Saint3333]

Free throws matter, turnovers matter, shot selection matters, etc.

The margin of error shrinks in tournament play has been the point the whole time.

Shooting 15-17 FTs mattered yesterday.

[Stonewall]

However you can , outscore the other team , find a way. Game by game. Each matchup is unique, depending on the day. Good teams find a way. We are a pretty good team.

[AppStFan1]

Our best game from the FT line. Excellent job men.

Indeed a great job to improve. Let's just hope this was not a single good game and we continue to see this. If we keep it up then we can be a very dangerous team in the postseason.

UVa beat Wake going 1-11 from the free throw line.

Of course that can happen but is rare and they just won by 2. I bet the head coach pointed out to his team that shooting good from FT line would have put the game away a lot earlier. When 2 teams are close in talent the difference can be free throws.

If you are up by say 7 with 1 minute to go then you can put a team away quickly but shooting 30% from FT line can open the door for a team to make a comeback.

The point is you get points however you can and free throws are suppose to be easy points. Why make life harder on yourself? Hit your free throws and put the game away earlier!

[Bigdaddyg1]

The free throw topic is very interesting and honestly up until this season I've never given shooting stats that much attention. Like most say every stat is important. If you turn the ball over 15 times and your opponent scores on half of those opportunities that's way more hurtful than missing, say 5 free throws- assuming going 15-20 which is still a decent percentage. The people who really harp on missed FT's apparently expect 100% which is ridiculous.

There is a huge difference in a free shot versus an easy shot. While these shots are "free" there is still pressure and they are not taken within a normal flow. And they are still a 15' shot. That UVA v Wake situation could have killed UVA had Wake been able to capitalize. The aspect of missed free throws that I've repeated is points off of the misses. Apparently that horrendous shooting didn't ultimately hurt UVA as Wake didn't convert on enough opportunities and UVA's defense made up for the misses. We have been able to do the same thing in several games.

[AppAlum1]

All if this is well and good but you're missing the bigger question: did Coach Marlin find Nemo at the HCC?

How could he not? Almost every student brought a photo of Nemo with them. !!!

[704App]

If my teams strength and the reason we are winning games is because of offensive and defensive efficiencies, I would rather they continue focusing hard on those to continue to improve so the team can continue to win games.

Free throws, while important, are nowhere near as important as above.

If you'd rather watch a team be 95% from FT and 50% offensive efficiency, you'd rather watch a losing team.

Sure FT are a weakness. And a weakness that needs to be strengthened. But, it should not make other strengths weaker. So, of

So, if Kerns thinks focusing on what he's focusing on and keeping a lower FT % is going to be successful, I think he's earned the respect to continue to do that.

But, as is typical on this board (and I'm still fairly new here mind you), the same select trolls have to continue being negative nancies.

You guys act.like the players and coaches are purposely trying to miss FTs. There are only so many hours a week they are allowed to practice. They don't want to miss them more than we want them to make them.

By, some people can't take success and always have to point out the negative A lot of those people are on here it seems. And, somehow, if you have common sense, you're just making excuses.

And oh boy -- if you start trying to be positive, watch out for the negative Nancy mob! But, to each their own. If you want to be a miserable person 24/7, more power to you. I just prefer to smile majority of the time!

[Bigdaddyg1]

If my teams strength and the reason we are winning games is because of offensive and defensive efficiencies, I would rather they continue focusing hard on those to continue to improve so the team can continue to win games.

Free throws, while important, are nowhere near as important as above.

If you'd rather watch a team be 95% from FT and 50% offensive efficiency, you'd rather watch a losing team.

Sure FT are a weakness. And a weakness that needs to be strengthened. But, it should not make other strengths weaker. So, of

So, if Kerns thinks focusing on what he's focusing on and keeping a lower FT % is going to be successful, I think he's earned the respect to continue to do that.

But, as is typical on this board (and I'm still fairly new here mind you), the same select trolls have to continue being negative nancies.

You guys act.like the players and coaches are purposely trying to miss FTs. There are only so many hours a week they are allowed to practice. They don't want to miss them more than we want them to make them.

By, some people can't take success and always have to point out the negative A lot of those people are on here it seems. And, somehow, if you have common sense, you're just making excuses.

And oh boy -- if you start trying to be positive, watch out for the negative Nancy mob! But, to each their own. If you want to be a miserable person 24/7, more power to you. I just prefer to smile majority of the time!

Good points. So many people react to a percentage and completely ignore the basic math. On average we are only about 3 made free throws from being crappy to being average and around 100 (out of the 320ish) D1 teams. We aren't going to be a 90% team so anyone who expects that is delusional. Basically we are "leaving" 3 points per game off the board. That's a single 3 point shot. And as I've mentioned several times if we don't allow points off of missed free throws- mainly front ends of 1/1's then it's not magnified. Some of the negative tunnel vision guys act like people like myself have said that free throws aren't important. It's all important but our lower shooting percentage has not been a game killer.

[704App]

If my teams strength and the reason we are winning games is because of offensive and defensive efficiencies, I would rather they continue focusing hard on those to continue to improve so the team can continue to win games.

Free throws, while important, are nowhere near as important as above.

If you'd rather watch a team be 95% from FT and 50% offensive efficiency, you'd rather watch a losing team.

Sure FT are a weakness. And a weakness that needs to be strengthened. But, it should not make other strengths weaker. So, of

So, if Kerns thinks focusing on what he's focusing on and keeping a lower FT % is going to be successful, I think he's earned the respect to continue to do that.

But, as is typical on this board (and I'm still fairly new here mind you), the same select trolls have to continue being negative nancies.

You guys act.like the players and coaches are purposely trying to miss FTs. There are only so many hours a week they are allowed to practice. They don't want to miss them more than we want them to make them.

By, some people can't take success and always have to point out the negative A lot of those people are on here it seems. And, somehow, if you have common sense, you're just making excuses.

And oh boy -- if you start trying to be positive, watch out for the negative Nancy mob! But, to each their own. If you want to be a miserable person 24/7, more power to you. I just prefer to smile majority of the time!

Good points. So many people react to a percentage and completely ignore the basic math. On average we are only about 3 made free throws from being crappy to being average and around 100 (out of the 320ish) D1 teams. We aren't going to be a 90% team so anyone who expects that is delusional. Basically we are "leaving" 3 points per game off the board. That's a single 3 point shot. And as I've mentioned several times if we don't allow points off of missed free throws- mainly front ends of 1/1's then it's not magnified. Some of the negative tunnel vision guys act like people like myself have said that free throws aren't important. It's all important but our lower shooting percentage has not been a game killer.

Exactly. FT's are very important. They just aren't more important than defensive rotations which our team obviously practices consistently.

I'd rather they hit 2 of 3 FTs than allow a good 3 point shooter have a wide open shot in the corner. But, again, to each their own.

[AppStFan1]

The free throw topic is very interesting and honestly up until this season I've never given shooting stats that much attention. Like most say every stat is important. If you turn the ball over 15 times and your opponent scores on half of those opportunities that's way more hurtful than missing, say 5 free throws- assuming going 15-20 which is still a decent percentage. The people who really harp on missed FT's apparently expect 100% which is ridiculous.

There is a huge difference in a free shot versus an easy shot. While these shots are "free" there is still pressure and they are not taken within a normal flow. And they are still a 15' shot. That UVA v Wake situation could have killed UVA had Wake been able to capitalize. The aspect of missed free throws that I've repeated is points off of the misses. Apparently that horrendous shooting didn't ultimately hurt UVA as Wake didn't convert on enough opportunities and UVA's defense made up for the misses. We have been able to do the same thing in several games.

100% is just not realistic but as a team you are doing really good if you are at least 75% and I would imagine a coach would want his team to at least be 70-72%. We have a couple players who have really struggled overall so our team is 66%.

[appvette]

We had 4 players that shot free throws yesterday. Xavion and Abson were 100% and Gregory and Marsh were not (still great though). When those 2 guys are shooting well or if you take them out of the averages, we're a decent FT shooting team. And as we've seen, it's easy to game plan around that by taking them out late on offense when the other team is intentionally fouling.

[Bigdaddyg1]

Remove Brown and Abson's numbers and we are at about 72% as a team. When it comes down to close games in the post season you probably won't see those two players on the floor at the end except for defensive rotations.

[Saint3333]

Abson and Brown not on the floor in the final two minutes of games is all the proof one needs to understand that FTs matter in tight games. Silly this discussion continues.

[704App]

Abson and Brown not on the floor in the final two minutes of games is all the proof one needs to understand that FTs matter in tight games. Silly this discussion continues.

Nobody said they don't matter.

They just don't matter as much as you think they do. You seemingly would rather they practice FTs instead of defensive rotations.

You're right, I can't believe you continue to harp on something that facts and stats prove is insignificant in the grand scheme of the entirety of the game.

[Bigdaddyg1]

Abson and Brown not on the floor in the final two minutes of games is all the proof one needs to understand that FTs matter in tight games. Silly this discussion continues.

Nobody said they don't matter.

They just don't matter as much as you think they do. You seemingly would rather they practice FTs instead of defensive rotations.

You're right, I can't believe you continue to harp on something that facts and stats prove is insignificant in the grand scheme of the entirety of the game.

That what absolutely kills me with this discussion. Absolutely NOBODY says that they aren't important. Free throw percentage is simply one of the most insignificant stats. If we shot 50 a game and were at 66% that's a different story. At 20 a game the difference in sucking and respectable is about 3 to 4 a game. We completely overcome this slight deficiency with our defense.

[AppOrange]

Abson and Brown not on the floor in the final two minutes of games is all the proof one needs to understand that FTs matter in tight games. Silly this discussion continues.

Nobody said they don't matter.

They just don't matter as much as you think they do. You seemingly would rather they practice FTs instead of defensive rotations.

You're right, I can't believe you continue to harp on something that facts and stats prove is insignificant in the grand scheme of the entirety of the game.

A lot of assumptions the last few pages. I have read every comment in the basketball threads this year and no one is saying FT's don't matter, and no one is bashing this teams overall ability and success because of poor FT %. I am reading concerns about some of the poor performances by the team as a whole (games in the 50s and 60s percentage wise) and how this can bite us in a game again this year. The fact of the matter is, it isn't just the misses in regards to statistical points, its also the front end of 1 on 1's not counted statistically, needed personnel who cant be on the floor at critical times, and the unarguable fact that a few extra points can change the approach at how the end of the game is played/coached. Its one category, of so many, that can determine the game, so discrediting the importance or unimportance is futile. What I have not seen, in any of these threads, are those whose takes are so extreme or knee jerky like the football threads. And for this I am thankful. The minute someone starts calling for DK's head because we missed some FT's, that's when Id be concerned. Side note, it is a chat board, so someone complaining about FT percentages (I have) is fine, getting ridiculed for it, fine, someone defending their opposition to the comments, fine, but lets not start calling some of our most ardent bball fans names because they are active on here and frustrated about a part of the game that can be better. No one is saying practice other areas less, or whatever, just want better production in a very visible part of the game. But, it is a chat board so do what you must I guess.

Last thing, as a reminder only, if you are active on social media (any platform), anytime something is posted by the university, coaches, etc., hit that Like button. Besides going to the games, donating $, etc., increasing out social media footprint with tons of likes from official sources is a huge; A free thing we as fans can do to help our App teams anytime, anywhere. App does very well here, lets keep it going and do even better for all the teams.