The ACC’s Best Returning Free Throw Shooters

Official statistics are, as we’ve been known to point out, circumscribed in their applicability. By imposing restrictive criteria for inclusion, they tend to minimize the role played by those who make the most of limited opportunity.

As a result, because they failed to attempt 2.5 foul shots per game, most of the most accurate free throw shooters each season fail to appear in official leader compilations. This year the excluded constitute six of the 10 best returning foul shooters.

We highlight those achievements here to better appreciate their potential contributions in 2019.

Note that, in Shelton Mitchell and Marcquise Reed, Clemson has two of the best officially qualifying free throw shooters in the league. The Tigers also boast two of the best six overall, a nice advantage. Reed’s acuity doubtless contributed to his inclusion on the 2018 second team All-ACC squad.

Last season’s official FT leaders were Joel Berry of North Carolina with an .893 conversion rate and Wake Bryant Crawford at .868. Berry graduated, Crawford jumped ship. Neither would have ranked better than third among the returning leaders.