MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Trevor Mbakwe and Minnesota have struggled with their free throws all season.
The Gophers are last in the Big Ten at the foul line, shooting barely better than 65 percent. They did, however, have a stronger showing in Sunday’s win at Iowa, going 16 for 21. Trevor Mbakwe (im-BAHK’-way) was a season-best 10 for 11 to push his average past the 60 percent mark.
Coach Tubby Smith and his staff have been trying to get the Gophers to focus on the problem, forcing players to run sprints or do push-ups as punishment for missing free throws in practice. Smith says he believes the team is concentrating better at the line, an area of improvement that will be critical to the Gophers strengthening their NCAA tournament bid with more wins down the stretch.
