Free-throw line. Charity stripe. Foul shot.
Any way it’s put, the 15-foot unguarded shot is a player’s to miss.
And Sunday against Belmont, the No. 24 North Carolina basketball team missed 26 free throws, shooting 45.8 percent to Belmont’s 90.9 percent.
But after the dismal performance from the stripe, coach Roy Williams didn’t change anything about his team’s free-throw preparation leading up to this weekend’s Hall of Fame Tip-Off tournament in Uncasville, Conn.
Though Williams can practice foul-shot situations before the games, the simulation can’t fully prepare players for the mental pressure of making the shots during competition.
“If two guys make 81 and 84 percent on their own, I can’t simulate what their thought process is in a game,” Williams said. “We’ve got to be able to handle that part of it. But we shoot (free throws), and I would say that we’re more than likely going to shoot more.”
Sophomore shooting guard J.P. Tokoto, who has seen increased playing time with P.J. Hairston and Leslie McDonald sitting out with ongoing NCAA eligibility issues, missed a whopping 12 free throws against Belmont, something Williams said has shaken Tokoto’s confidence.
Tokoto connected on two of his seven shots from the floor in his 28 minutes on the court in Sunday’s loss. Since his 13-point season debut, Tokoto’s production has dropped — scoring six points against Holy Cross and eight against Belmont.
With Hairston and McDonald staying in Chapel Hill this weekend as the NCAA continues its investigation, Tokoto and his teammates will have to continue to assume more on-court responsibility.
