Owens drops consistent free throws - Tulsa World (11-18-05)

[ORUTerry]

Owens drops consistent free throws

By MIKE BROWN World Sports Writer

11/18/2005

ORU's assistant coach Phipps helps Golden Eagle forward improve his style and boost his percentage.

Larry Owens is less likely to grimace when stepping to the foul line in key situations this season.

The Oral Roberts University senior forward is shooting free throws better since he started working with assistant coach Conley Phipps.

"I really struggled last year. I knew I needed to get better so I could help the team more," Owens said.

He helped plenty with his rebounding, defense and steals. One of the Mid-Continent Conference's best athletes, he ranked among the league leaders in six catego ries, but not in free-throw percentage.

Owens' .455 (40 of 88 tries) was the worst among ORU's regulars. He struggled until he lost all confidence.

"I couldn't understand why they wouldn't go in," Owens said.

Phipps is a shooting guru. He made hundreds of foul shots during his All-State career at Cleveland High School and finished as Northeastern State's career leader in free-throw percentage (.845). Phipps once made 16-of-16 foul shots in an NSU game.

"Larry was disappointed with how he shot free throws last year," Phipps said.

"It got to be a mental thing with him. It was an area that he thought he could get better."

Phipps noticed that Owens shot without flexing his wrist. In proper form, the hand points backward, parallel to the upper arm, as the ball is raised for shooting.

But Owens would bend his elbow almost until his shooting hand touched his shoulder and fling the ball with wrist held straight, like a dart-thrower's. This caused the ball to hit the rim on a flat trajectory, with little hope of going in.

"We've tried to get him to cock his wrist a little more, so when he starts his shot, the ball is going up toward the roof and not straight toward the rim. It ends up being a softer shot," Phipps said.

Does anyone need an argument to improve on free throws? Phipps said if Owens had shot 75 percent from the line, he would have averaged in double figures, instead of 9.2 points per game.

That doesn't take into account the bonus chances Owens would have gotten by hitting the front end of 1-and-1s.

Phipps started working with Owens during spring individual workouts, and Owens learned enough about the technique to continue working on his own in the summer.

"He's been real consistent with it, and it's made him a better shooter all over the floor," Phipps said.

Owens started the Northeastern State exhibition win with a 3-pointer and went 8-of-18 from the field in preseason.

"It seems like he's in here every day, working on his free throws," said head coach Scott Sutton. "He spent a lot of time on it, and he's shooting with more confidence."

Has Owens really been tested? The Golden Eagles haven't played a regular-season game. That starts at 7:05 p.m. Saturday when they host Utah State, an NCAA Tournament team four of the past six years.

Owens made 5-of-6 free throws in the Navy-White scrimmage and 3-of-3 in an exhibition win over Central Oklahoma.

If those games weren't enough pressure, consider that Owens was often as clueless in practice last season, when missed free throws resulted in extra running after practice.

"We would have free-throw competitions, and guys would say, 'He won't make these,' but I haven't heard too many remarks lately," Owens said.