Kentucky’s Top Underclassmen Shooters
While one of the fundamentals of the game, free-throw shooting is often a sign of maturity among basketball players. While natural skill is certainly involved, it is as much about practice and discipline, things younger players do not always possess. …
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Continue ReadingWhile one of the fundamentals of the game, free-throw shooting is often a sign of maturity among basketball players. While natural skill is certainly involved, it is as much about practice and discipline, things younger players do not always possess. This makes it even more impressive that some of the top foul shooters in Kentucky last season are still underclassmen. The upcoming sophomore and freshmen who have already dedicated themselves to mastering this crucial part of the game deserve to be highlighted in their own right.
Hailee Valentine, North Laurel- Aside from her incredible free-throw shooting, Valentine has shown incredible maturity on the court by being entrusted as a ball-handler for her team as a freshman last season. She converted her foul shots at an 82.7% clip, one of the top percentages in the state regardless of position. She will look to improve on the 91 free throws she attempted last season as she is entrusted with even more responsibility moving forward.
Allie Stone, West Carter- Already an adept scorer at multiple levels, it is no surprise that Stone has converted well from the charity stripe thus far in her high school career. She shot a great 82.3% on a solid 158 attempts last season. As her already good offensive game continues to improve, expect free throw shooting to remain a strength of Stone’s game.
Whitney Lind, Cooper- While the maturity and work ethic required to be a proficient free-throw shooter is impressive in a freshman, it is even more impressive in an 8th grader, which Lind was last season. She converted 77.8% of her 98 attempts from the line, providing enough volume to show her efficiency was no fluke. This kind of discipline and mastery of one of the fundamentals of basketball bode well for a long high school career to come from Lind.
Allyson Anderson, McCreary Central- Already proven as an adept scorer, knocking down free throws helped contribute to Anderson’s spot as one of McCreary County’s best scorers last season. She made 76.6% of an incredible 218 free-throw attempts, showing strong efficiency with excellent volume. Free throws should remain a major part of her scoring as she continues to take up her team’s scoring mantle going forward.