Countdown to tip-off: MSU vs. Memphis

By Sean Ely

Created:
03/28/08 7:40pm

Last updated:
03/28/08 7:40pm

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Houston — Don’t jinx it there, Memphis faithfuls.

Numerous Tigers players and coaches have stood up in front of the media throughout the latter half of the season and said that their pathetic free throw shooting has never cost them a game.

Want to know what would be absolutely hysterical?

If Memphis forward Joey Dorsey found himself at the charity stripe with a one-and-one opportunity to put his team ahead with 5.3 seconds remaining in a nail-biter against the MSU men’s basketball team tonight — then clanked it off the left side of the rim.

There’s that 37.9 percentage we’ve heard so much about.

You think free throws would matter then, coach Calipari? I think so. How bad of a taste would you have in your mouth then?

And although Calipari has never been able to say that their 35-1 record took a hit because of a poor free throw outing, he’s apparently failed to realize the negative message he is sending to his players.

Do you think guys like Dorsey and guard Chris Doulgas-Roberts are going to enter the NBA and slide onto a roster and never have to worry about freebies from the foul line?

I’m sure NBA coaches like Phil Jackson or Doc Rivers would say, “Ohh, free throws? Forget about those, you’re THAT good. While everyone else is shooting them, why don’t you practice dunking?”

Free throws are a fundamental. You have a chance to shoot the basketball with no one guarding you. You develop a rhythm, do that everytime and improve.

Apparantly Memphis doesn’t teach “rhythms” or “improvement.”

We’ll see where that 59.2 season percentage takes you.

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