Texas Tech basketball: Scouting the No. 3 Kansas Jayhawks

KU Is a poor free-throw shooting team

When playing in an arena as prone to offensive runs by the home team as Allen Fieldhouse, being able to have an edge at the free-throw line is a great way to slow the momentum of the home team.  While we know that it is rare to have a significant edge in attempts on the road in the Big 12, Tech could still make up ground one point at a time because the Jayhawks are a bad free-throw shooting team.

At 66.1% as a team, KU is just 300th in the nation.  But somehow that’s still good for 6th in the Big 12.

Point guard and leading scorer Devon Dotson is a good shooter at 81.4%.  But after him, the next three highest-scoring Jayhawks all shoot below 70%.  That includes Azubuike, who is just 42.4%.

In their three losses this year, they have shot 61.5%, 40%, and 78.6% respectively against Duke, Villanova, and Baylor.  Perhaps that area of the game will fail them again today.

But here’s the problem for Texas Tech.  KU is second in the Big 12th and 20th nationally in the number of fouls committed.  What’s more, in Big 12 play road teams at Allen Fieldhouse are shooting an average of just 14 free-throws in conference play.  Baylor shot only seven (but still managed to win).

That means Tech had better make the most of the opportunities that do come at the line today.  It also means that the Red Raiders have to be intentional about trying to get there.  And if they can have around the same number of attempts as KU is awarded, they could have an edge being as KU is not a good free-throw shooting team.