Column: Same form working well for sophomore basketball player
Dan Cusack / Staff Reporter
Issue date: 2/25/09 Section: Sports
For Tyler Laser, it starts by squaring up his feet at the free-throw line. The right foot in front of the left with his head down. Next, comes three dribbles to the right side of the body: short, quick and concise.
After, the Eastern sophomore guard lifts his head and the ball into the shooter's pocket. Finally, the ball is released, and the last 45 times it has gone in.
Laser, a sophomore guard for the men's basketball team, is one free throw away from tying the Ohio Valley Conference record for free throws made.
He is shooting (47-48 97.9 percent) so far this season and has not missed a free throw since Dec. 3 in a game against Tennessee State.
He has made 45 in a row this season.
"I think free throws are like lay-ups," Laser said. "You should never miss them."
The current record has stood for 30 years when it was set by Morehead State's Glen Napier during the 1981-1982 season.
Growing up, Laser would practice making 600 shots per day, including 200 free throws.
He said he does not feel any pressure about the record and just goes about his business at the line.
Early this season, the women's basketball team guard Megan Edwards had a free throw streak of her own. Laser said the two challenged each other to see who could go the longest. Edwards missed a free throw against Southeast Missouri ending her streak. Laser said the only pressure he felt was to beat her.
Free-throw shooting can often be overlooked and boring. Eastern practices its free throws at the end of practice when the players are tired and ready to go change.
But for Laser, free-throw shooting is about using his time wisely. On Tuesday, at the end of a tough practice that lasted about two hours, Laser was still a perfect 10-of-10 from the line, not wavering from his fundamental free-throw form.
He sometimes has felt the ball has come off his hand wrong and wondered if it would go in during the free-throw streak.
But each time, the ball continues to glide through the nylon.
His pattern, the three dribbles up and release, has remained unchanged since the time he was a little kid.
"My dad told me you don't need to be spinning the ball six times or banging your heart three times," Laser said. "All you need is three dribbles."
As it stands today, Laser is three dribbles away from OVC history.
Dan Cusack can be reached at 581-7944 or at dscusack@eiu.edu.
After, the Eastern sophomore guard lifts his head and the ball into the shooter's pocket. Finally, the ball is released, and the last 45 times it has gone in.
Laser, a sophomore guard for the men's basketball team, is one free throw away from tying the Ohio Valley Conference record for free throws made.
He is shooting (47-48 97.9 percent) so far this season and has not missed a free throw since Dec. 3 in a game against Tennessee State.
He has made 45 in a row this season.
"I think free throws are like lay-ups," Laser said. "You should never miss them."
The current record has stood for 30 years when it was set by Morehead State's Glen Napier during the 1981-1982 season.
Growing up, Laser would practice making 600 shots per day, including 200 free throws.
He said he does not feel any pressure about the record and just goes about his business at the line.
Early this season, the women's basketball team guard Megan Edwards had a free throw streak of her own. Laser said the two challenged each other to see who could go the longest. Edwards missed a free throw against Southeast Missouri ending her streak. Laser said the only pressure he felt was to beat her.
Free-throw shooting can often be overlooked and boring. Eastern practices its free throws at the end of practice when the players are tired and ready to go change.
But for Laser, free-throw shooting is about using his time wisely. On Tuesday, at the end of a tough practice that lasted about two hours, Laser was still a perfect 10-of-10 from the line, not wavering from his fundamental free-throw form.
He sometimes has felt the ball has come off his hand wrong and wondered if it would go in during the free-throw streak.
But each time, the ball continues to glide through the nylon.
His pattern, the three dribbles up and release, has remained unchanged since the time he was a little kid.
"My dad told me you don't need to be spinning the ball six times or banging your heart three times," Laser said. "All you need is three dribbles."
As it stands today, Laser is three dribbles away from OVC history.
Dan Cusack can be reached at 581-7944 or at dscusack@eiu.edu.
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