Could this be Kentucky’s best free-throw shooting team ever? The numbers say yes.

Impressive as they looked during a four-game basketball trip to the Bahamas over the summer, it’s probably not worth reading much into the actual statistics behind the Kentucky Wildcats’ exhibition tour.

The level of competition was obviously not great, and what took place during the flow of those games will look quite a bit different when the Cats meet more formidable opponents during the regular season.

One eye-popping stat that could carry over, however: UK’s numbers at the free-throw line.

Collectively, the Cats shot 84.8 percent over the course of those four games in August, a mark that would obliterate the program’s all-time single-season record at the stripe.

The stakes in the Bahamas weren’t high — and that means lower-pressure situations throughout those games — but the basic act of shooting free throws should, theoretically, translate, regardless of opponent. A good defensive team can force you into bad shots and contest good ones, but free throws are simply a shooter, a ball and 15 unencumbered feet to the hoop, no matter who you’re playing against.

And this Kentucky team appears to have a knack for it.

Maligned as some of his teams have been in this area, John Calipari’s 2019-20 squad actually holds the program’s record for team free-throw percentage, going 79.7 percent from the line that season. Those Cats were led by Immanuel Quickley, who shot 92.3 percent that year and is UK’s all-time free-throw leader (with a minimum of 200 attempts) at 89.5 percent. That team also featured Tyrese Maxey (83.3 percent), Ashton Hagans (81.0 percent) and a smooth-shooting big man, Nick Richards (75.2 percent), in prominent roles.

This 2022-23 Kentucky team appears to have a similarly deep roster of free-throw shooters, and that was evident in the small sample size of the Bahamas trip.

UK’s five leading scorers over those games — Sahvir Wheeler, Cason Wallace, Antonio Reeves, Jacob Toppin and Oscar Tshiebwe — would also make a logical starting five for the regular season. That group went 39-for-44 on free throws in the Bahamas, an 88.6 percent rate.

There’s reason to think these numbers could translate.

Reeves — a transfer from Illinois State during the offseason — was 10-for-10 on the Bahamas trip, and his numbers have increased steadily over the course of his college career, going from 65.9 percent as a freshman to 81.8 percent last season.

Wheeler was 14-for-15 in the Bahamas. He, too, has seen a marked increase at the line as a college player, shooting 69.9 percent as a freshman and 78.0 percent last season.

Toppin was a 74.5-percent shooter last year, and he’s at 72.2 percent over three college seasons. Tshiebwe led the Cats in free-throw attempts last season, making 114 of 165 shots (69.1 percent).

High school stats are largely unreliable, but Wallace brings the reputation of an outstanding free-throw shooter, and he shot 84.0 percent in his final season of ball on the Nike circuit.

Surely UK won’t match that 85ish-percent number from the Bahamas this season, but …

“We hope to!” interjected Orlando Antigua, interrupting that thought with the seemingly sincere notion that this Kentucky team could indeed be lights out at the line this season.

Making free throws

What makes a good free-throw shooter?

“Guys who can shoot,” Antigua said. “Easy enough. It’s not too difficult.”

It’s obviously not quite that simple. Free throws often don’t make headlines after games, unless they lead to a team’s undoing. Adding up the numbers at the end of the night, it’s often a stat that has a considerable impact on close games, and it can be especially important for teams coached by Calipari, who typically likes his players to drive to the basket and draw contact.

At the line, it’s all about focus and repetition.

“Yeah, guys that have put time in and have a routine,” Antigua said. “And can block out situations. Block out the noise and just focus in on the reps that they’re doing. That’s something that usually, in close games, can play a really huge part.”

Antigua acknowledged that free throws often aren’t much of a focus during the team’s organized practice time. That’s partly by necessity — that block of time, when everyone is together, is obviously better suited for other areas — and partly by design.

“We do a lot after practice,” Antigua said. “I like to make sure that they shoot a lot when they’re fatigued, when they’re tired, and they have to focus in on making free throws. … You want to be able to have them concentrate when they’re fatigued.”

And good free-throw shooters don’t come about by accident. It takes plenty of individual work away from those practice sessions. It’s no coincidence that UK’s top-five all-time single-season free-throw shooters — Quickley, Tyler Herro, Travis Ford, Kyle Macy and Jodie Meeks — all had that “gym rat” reputation.

Reeves, who could be UK’s top free-throw shooter this season, has found that out for himself over time. He shot just 65.9 percent as a freshman, worked a little more at it, and shot 76.3 percent as a sophomore. He started to completely transform his game last season, taking a more serious approach to his preparation, and jumped to 81.8 percent.

“I work on my free-throw shooting every day,” he said. “Make sure I get at least 50 to 100 free throws a day. … I won’t leave the gym until I make 15 or 20 in a row. I’m not going to leave until that happens.”

Wheeler got excited when it was pointed out that his numbers had steadily jumped throughout his college career. “Thank you!” he exclaimed, glad that it hadn’t gone unnoticed, before listing his season percentages off the top of his head. He shot 69.9 percent as a freshman, 73.8 percent as a sophomore, and 78.0 percent last season.

UK’s point guard said that his dad always told him to find a good technique, and all it takes from there is reps and consistency. And that’s what he’s done.

“And I think, right now, it’s starting to click,” he said.

Wheeler explained that he tries to shoot the same shot every time, with good balance, good rotation, and his hands positioned in the middle of the ball.

“And not really worrying about it,” he said. “Knowing and trusting the fact that I put in the time, so just going out there and shooting it — knowing I shot that shot thousands of times during the week.”

Kentucky’s best returning free-throw shooter from last season is actually 6-foot-9 forward Daimion Collins, who went 18-for-21 from the line (85.7 percent). He was 6-for-7 on free throws in the Bahamas (for the exact same percentage).

“That’s something my dad has been telling me ever since I started playing basketball,” Collins said. “Being a taller person, you’re going to be around the rim a lot, and you’re going to get fouled a lot. So you gotta be able to knock down free throws. So that’s something I’ve been working on my whole basketball career.”

Another key player on this Kentucky team, CJ Fredrick, shot just 67.6 percent in his last season at Iowa, but that seems to be an outlier (and he was dealing with a foot injury for most of that season). Fredrick is one of the nation’s top three-point shooters, and he shot 79.5 percent from the line in his first season with the Hawkeyes and made 84.5 percent of his free throws as a high school senior.

Freshman Adou Thiero shot 77 percent as a senior in high school, and fellow freshman Chris Livingston has also impressed the older Wildcats with the shooting ability he’s shown so far.

Even Tshiebwe’s numbers could be better. For a guy his size, 69.1 percent isn’t bad by any stretch.

“He’s a lot better free-throw shooter than that,” Antigua said bluntly, foreseeing higher numbers for the Kentucky star this season. “At least, that’s my expectation. We work a lot on it.”

Whether this Kentucky team exceeds the mark of the 2019-20 squad will obviously be a question that remains unanswered until March or April, but this group certainly has the potential to be among the program’s best ever in an overlooked-but-crucial area. If they don’t live up to that, it won’t be from lack of trying.

“Every day,” Toppin said when asked about his free-throw work. “There’s always room for improvement.”

Next game

Missouri Western State at No. 4 Kentucky

What: Preseason exhibition game

When: 7 p.m. Sunday

Where: Rupp Arena

TV: SEC Network

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