Now we’ve made it to minutes per free throws attempted. This again should be dominated by forwards and aggressive guards. However, the main difference here is that free throw percentages aren’t as relevant, but instead the turnover rate is key. This category measures how aggressive these players are in the paint and if this aggression is working in their favor by free throw attempts heavily outweighing their number of turnovers.
MINUTES PER FREE THROWS ATTEMPTED
While the aim is for this number to be low, it’s best combined with a solid free throw percentage and low turnover rate.
1. A.J. Ogilvy, Vanderbilt (3.9) – As if this phenomenal freshman hadn’t done enough, he leads yet another statistical category, this time in how often he gets to the stripe. His aggression and assertiveness under the basket is unmatched offensively, and he improves upon that with a very solid 76.9% touch – although his 10.5 m/to rate could be improved upon.
2. Elgin Bailey, Mississippi State (5.2) – Bailey seems to have a lot of potential under the basket, with solid shooting percentages and rebounding figures as a freshman. His aggression in the paint, however, goes unrewarded as he hit an absolutely abysmal 39.0% from the stripe with 41 attempts (he hits a much better 47.4% from the field). If Bailey wants to step into the shoes of graduating forward Charles Rhodes, he absolutely must improve from the charity stripe.
3. Cameron Tatum, Tennessee (5.3) – Very similar to Bailey but with much less playing time is Tatum, who shot well from the field but managed just a 42.9% effort from the free throw line in 14 attempts. Similarly, he must improve that stroke before he looks to contribute for the Vols. A 9.3 m/to rate also should improve.
4. Korvotney Barber, Auburn (5.6) – Shockingly, Barber is the 3rd out of the top 4 in this category to shoot less than 45% from the free throw line (43.8%), although Barber’s misses made a much larger impact on his team, as he started 29 of 32 games for the Tigers. Auburn simply doesn’t have a choice, with limited options inside., although his 11.5 m/to ratio is at least decent.
5. J.P. Prince, Tennessee (5.8) – Although his shooting touch is still terrible at 55.7%, Prince’s m/to rate is an acceptable 11.3 and his touch from the field is a solid 49.7% – especially for a guard. Prince should continue to improve his free throw shooting and outside mark (15.4%) if the Vols are to seriously filter him into the starting lineup.
6. Nick Calathes, Florida (5.9) – Calathes is simply beneficial to his team regardless of what he is doing. Included is his knack for attacking the lane and drawing fouls, shooting 72.4% from the charity stripe as a freshman. This dynamic guard should join A.J. Ogilvy as preseason SEC Player of the Year favorites.
7. Zach Graham, Ole Miss (6.3) – The third-straight guard in the category, Graham would have been an absolute star if he had started every game last season, with incredible numbers from long range (43.3%) and his aggressive floor-play. A 13.9 m/to ratio is also impressive for a freshman guard.
8. Tyler Smith, Tennessee (6.4) – Smith, possibly the most dynamic player in the conference, got to the line 160 times and hit 70.6% of those shots. His 11.3 m/to ratio is especially impressive considering the amount of time in which he handled the ball.
8. Alonzo Gee, Alabama (6.4) – Gee’s touch from the charity stripe is far from impressive for a guard (67.9%), but his 15.8 m/to ratio is excellent considering his role as perhaps the most aggressive player in the conference.
10. Tasmin Mitchell, LSU (6.6) – Mitchell only saw three games, but excelled in those games from the free throw stripe, hitting 8 of 10 of his attempts. However, his ball-handling was nothing short of poor, as he turned the ball over every 7.3 minutes. In perspective, he would have given the ball up an average of five times if he had played 40 full minutes.
Not too much surprising on this front, as few would argue that these 10 players are the most aggressive in the conference. Some to their remorse, and others to their own benefit. To coaches, it’s absolutely vital for a player with lots of talent and potential to get to the basket, while those who only think they have that talent should know when to back off.
Next, we move on to the ever-important rebounding category with minutes per rebound.
