Added to the 5 LU returning players who rank in the MVC’s top 16 FT shooters is another player who came on strong from the line at the end of the season.
That is MILTON DOYLE. Doyle’s FT shooting was off to start the season, with his experimental shoulder sleeve on his shooting arm, needing special permission from the NCAA to play this season. He then was out with leg problems first for 1 game and then for 11 more toward the end of the season.
But in the post season tournaments he got back into the lineup full time for the last 6 games. Up to that time he had shot .605 from the line. But for those last 6 games, ending with the CIB Championship, Doyle hit .808 from the line.
Of LU’s regular 11 players last year, the only bad FT shooter, 6’4” or under, graduated, Joe Crisman. The 5 others who return (Turk, Richardson, Doyle, Peterson, & White) are all great from the line.
Of LU’S regular players 6’5” and over, Knuth (best returning FT shooter in the MVC) was the only solid LU FT shooting big man last year.
That may be why, along with ball handling, and pressure defense, that LU’s coach went with small lineups at the end of the close games this year, which we won 9 out of 10.
The only close loss was the 3 point loss to the Illinois State Hackers in the game “Elbows” McIntosh knocked out Christian Thomas with a concussion for 2 games with an elbow to the head away from the ball (no foul called). Montel James who scored 22 (10-15 FGs) was 2 for 11 from the line, with ISU’s 4 centers, who rotated for 39 minutes, committing 10 fouls.
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