8,134 is the number of free throws that have been attempted as of Friday Game Week 18 in the Castle Lite National Basketball League.4,419 is the number of Free throws that have been made.That makes it a 54.3% Free Throw conversion percentage.

The women have attempted 4,017 and have made 2,110,a paltry 51.83% clip,while the men have attempted 4,063 and made 2,309,which is a measly 56.83%.

The KCCA Panthers have attempted the most Free Throws with 497 and are the only men’s team to have 400+ attempts from the line,with the next best being Power with 393 attempts.KIU Titans have the fewest attempts with with 200.

As for the women,the JKL Lady Dolphins have the highest number of attempts with 428,followed by Magic Stormers with 414.Kampala University has the least with 207.

The KIU Titans and the Namuwongo Blazers have the highest percentage for made FTs among the the men,with both draining them at a 61.5% clip,while the Miracle Ravens have the highest for the women with 60.9%.

The Livingstone have the lowest percentage for the men with 49.7% while Kampala University have the unwanted distinction for the women with 42%.

Of the 12 teams in the women’s league,6 have a percentage below 50% and just one team had above 60%.For the men, only 2 teams have above 60% while the other 9 teams are in the 50’s,except for Livingstone,which is the only team with less than 50%.

The 21 players (women) that have made 70% or more have all attempted less than 50 FTs.Just 3 players have more than 100 attempts,these being Akello Winnifred (115, 67% FT), Rose Adhiambo Musundi (104, 54.8% FT) and Kur Ajah (105, 41.5% FT).

9 players for the men have 100% but they have all attempted 10 or less free throws. Jimmy Williams is the only one with 10/10, 100% success. Puati Ozias has the most attempts with 114 and 56.5% while Stephen Otoa is the only other player with more than a hundred,making 34% of his 101 attempts.Caesar Kizito and Peter Cheng have stood out, making 72.2% and 77.8% of their Free Throw attempts respectively.

Context

Free throws are one of the most important parts of the game of basketball given how much impact they have on scoring and thus,results.

When a team is poor on the line, the players on the opposing team could intentionally foul the players on the other team with the knowledge that they will not get away with it.

Conversely,if a team is good from the line, the opponents will limit their fouls because they know they will be punished.

When the game is in clutch time, more often than not, the team that is trailing fouls in order to stop the clock.When the fouled player fails to convert,they end up costing their team because the opposition tends to target players who have low FT conversion clips.

As Power battled Namuwongo Blazers, they had a chance to take the lead from the line with 34 seconds left. Kevin Ogunjimi missed both free throws and Power lost the game by 2 points.

With 3 seconds left in their game against JT Jaguars,the Blazers had their blushes spared once again as Ian Lubwama squndared the chance to tie the game by missing both of his FTs,with the final scoreboard reading 62:60.

When the JT Jaguars played the KCCA Panthers, the game went to triple overtime but it could have ended before if only the Jaguars had capitalised on their FTs.

At the end of overtime 1, the  JT Jaguars held a 2-point lead when Davis Asiimwe was fouled. He buried both of his attempts,sending the game into double overtime.

He quickly went from hero to zero by fouling Kevin Moru,who went to the line with a chance of winning it for the Jaguars with 31.5 seconds left. He made one to tie the game and send it to triple overtime. Ultimately the KCCA Panthers won the game in spite of the Jaguars having multiple opportunities to finish it off earlier.

There have been various examples of missed free throws from the beginning of the season and the above are just from recent memory.  However, so many players have missed free throws that could have changed the overall outcome.

After all this, the question remains;

Why is our free throw conversion rate so low?

While this is the elephant in the room, a lot of people have varying opinions for why they think Ugandans have been doing badly in this very important aspect of the game.

The Gazelles player and JT Lady Jaguars Captain Sarah Ageno  had this to say;

“We don’t put in the work, we ignore it, we think it is something small. Very many Ugandans ignore Free Throws not knowing free throws help you win the game”

Namuwongo Blazers Coach Stephen Nyeko ‘Escodata’ blames it on the kind of practice that teams and players have.

“I think it’s the way we practice. We play during the practice but rarely do we go to the line. We are always practicing Free throws alone but in game set up, we don’t”

JT Lady Jaguars player Ruth Letaru seconded Coach Escodata’s opinion but she had a little more regarding the emphasis of free throws by the coaches.

“We put a lot of emphasis on working on our handles, plays for the game, but as teams, we don’t put the same emphasis on Free Throws” Ruth Letaru

Former NBL MVP and KCCA Panthers Manager Becky Akullo thinks it’s down the low concentration levels by players more so late in the game. She also hints on the less practice put in by the players.

“We don’t practice enough. Also, maybe the time when the people are playing, by the time they are going to the line, they are very tired and the concentration levels are low”

Gazelles Assistant coach Mavita Ali hints about the unseriousness of players while on the Free throw line.

“We don’t practice enough with the right conditions around it. Some players joke around when they are taking free throws”

Ruai Luak who was a champion with the City Oilers and on the Team of the Season has a different opinion. He attributes our bad conversion rates to the lack of form shooting and the fewer attempts players make.

“Basketball is a contact game and you have to try to get to the line. Most of our players don’t go to the line enough. We also don’t practice form shooting”

Form JKL Dolphins player and Bugema University Coach Kasingabalya Jerome puts most of the blame on the poor facilities, which includes the hoops, the boards and the substandard courts.

“This could be down to small issues like standardization of the courts both range (distance from the line) and height of the rims.  We find YMCA having two rims with 2 different dimensions and then when you come to Lugogo, you find it is different”

How can this be solved?

Coach Escodata thinks that the style of playing during practice should change.

“People should be encouraged more to go to the line. Scrimmage the way you play the game that is going to be played at the Arena. If someone is fouled on the shot, why side the ball when he’s supposed to shoot free throws”

Journalist and FUBA umpire Priscilla Nakayenze thinks that players should do a lot more in terms of research.

“Working more, reading extra and watching tutorial on YouTube” Priscilla Nakayenze.

Sarah Ageno, Ruth Letaru and Becky Akullo front the idea of more free throw attempts during practice.

“We just need a lot more practice and being intentional about Free Throws” Becky Akullo

“It has to come from the coaches. Every training session, put up a fun drill for free throws” Sarah Ageno

“Put in time for the free throws as much as you put in time for other team dynamics” Ruth Letaru.

Coach Mavita thinks that players taking free throws in a variety of conditions more so after workouts can help;

“You have to simulate the game and make the players shoot in those situations when they are tired after some heavy workouts. After breaks, make them shoot free throws. Have them focus 100% when shooting free throws”

She goes on to emphasize the extra workouts that the players have to do.

“It is about how much time you put in it. The players come before practice and work out. If you wait for practice, you’ll put up like 10 shots and it’s not enough”

Ruai Luak believes that if players can have more shots and do a lot of form shooting, they will improve their Free throw conversion.

When this is all said and done, who is to blame? The players have the biggest blame to take because they are the ones that take the shots and are therefore directly responsible for taking the free throws.

However the coaches also have a part they play in this. Just like Ruth Letaru, Sarah Ageno and Coach Escodata pointed out, the coaches have to put the players in situations where they can take multiple attempts.

Poor facilities have been one of the biggest problems we have in the country. During the National Schools games in April/May, the courts had different dimensions. Some were slanting, and ultimately this affected the hoops and the boards. A plethora of players used courts and hoops that are not standard in terms of distance of the free throw line and height of the hoops. This very much greatly affects the quality of free throws.

All in all, the players have to maneuver despite the challenges and when called upon, they have to make the free throws count.