Free throws

[Da Coach]

Bradley fans like me have agonized over this year's team's free throw shooting a few times. I actually think there might have been a couple of the earlier games that Bradley lost that were related in a big part to poor free throw shooting.
But here are the up-to-date statistics among the MVC teams-

http://www.mvc.org/mbb/stats/confstat.htm

Bradley's FT% has been at 70% or better all year, and currently ranks 3rd among MVC teams with a 72.9%.
In the MVC games, they are even better (74.2%), ranking 4th-


Here are the past Free Throw percentages for every season for the last 40+ years.
Bradley's current overall FT% of 72.9% is better (in most cases much better) than all but 3 of the previous 40+ seasons (see highlighted figures).
Season....overall FT%
2018-19-...69.2%
2017-18-...70.7%
2016-17-...67.3%
2015-16-...66.2%
2014-15-...66.3%
2013-14-...70.1%
2012-13-...72.3%
2011-12-...68.2%
2010-11-...72.2%
2009-10-...74.4%
2008-09-...71.9%
2007-08-...74.4%
2006-07-...67.8%
2005-06-...71.8%
2004-05-...71.1%
2003-04-...72.5%
2002-03-...70.3%
2001-02-...71.6%
2000-01-...74.7%
1999-00-...65.7%
1998-99-...69.1%
1997-98-...68.2%
1996-97-...70.1%
1995-96-...69.9%
1994-95-...72.6%
1993-94-...63.5%
1992-93-...65.8%
1991-92-...69.1%
1990-91-...68.5%
1989-90-...68.4%
1988-89-...68.2%
1987-88-...71.1%
1986-87-...68.5%
1985-86-...65.7%
1984-85-...68.0%
1983-84-...70.2%
1982-83-...68.5%
1981-82-...67.9%
1980-81-...66.5%
1979-80-...67.3%
1978-79-...66.5%

[Tommy]

Wow! Nice stats, Coach. Thanks for putting that into perspective, because you’re right, it sure has seemed much worse than that.

[LittleBrave]

I think we've had our games this season that probably leave a negative impact on our overall perspective of the team's FT shooting.
In my mind, it has definitely improved this season. DB struggled a few games, but doesn't seem to miss much lately.
Kingsby and Ville probably boost our #'s too.

[basketball nut]

I knew we were a decent FT shooting team but it did cost us our first game at NIU when we shot, if I'm not mistaking, under 50%. That was a game if we shot 70% we win by 2 or 3 instead of losing. It almost cost us against MSU Wednesday but then the guys got hot and made all but one down the stretch.

[Bradley3342]

I would have guessed a lower percentage also but shooting over 70% as a team is not to much to complain about.

[bigjimmy]

Frankly I’m stunned to see we’re shooting over 70% because, as I’ve said all year, we seem to have a Dr Jeckyl and Mr Hyde tendency in games from the FT line. When we make them we seem to make them in bunches and when we don’t we seem to brick them in bunches too. But it sure seems like when in gets under 4:00 to go in the game we turn into the Terminator. Hopefully that part stays that way the rest of the season. And for those who read the Journal Star they just posted a really good article from Dave Reynolds about the parallels between Wardle, Mo and Versace.

[Da Coach]

Here is the article bigjimmy was referring to. A good summary of recent Bradley coaching history

https://www.pjstar.com/sports/20200221/building-braves-brian-wardles-journey-to-success-is-familiar-path-at-bradley

[Tommy]

Here is the article bigjimmy was referring to. A good summary of recent Bradley coaching history
https://www.pjstar.com/sports/202002...ath-at-bradley

Wow. Great article, Dave! I’m impressed!

[Bradley3342]

What a great article! Sure brings back a lot of memories!

[bigjimmy]

Here is the article bigjimmy was referring to. A good summary of recent Bradley coaching history
https://www.pjstar.com/sports/202002...ath-at-bradley

Apologize for not posting the link but when you don't know how to do it, well...……… fortunately I had a feeling a certain moderator would bail me out.

[Dub]

In this article there’s only one BU coach from my lifetime that didn’t get a mention in the BU coaching history... But perhaps that’s because he didn’t necessarily take over a “failed” program.