Bill Self warns Kansas Jayhawks over free-throw disaster

Bill Self Sounds the Alarm on Kansas Jayhawks Free-Throw Shooting.

Kansas opened its regular season with a 95-65 blowout win over Fordham on Nov. 2.

But head coach Bill Self is not celebrating.

He is staring at a stat line that could sink this team against elite competition.

The Jayhawks shot 16-for-30 from the free-throw line against Fordham.

That is 53.3 percent.

Even after removing the five missed attempts by walk-ons Will Thengvall and Paul Mbiya, the number only climbs to 16-for-25.

That is 64 percent.

Self focused on the players who log the majority of minutes.

Those players combined to shoot 9-for-21 from the stripe.

That is 42.9 percent.

"We've shot them like crap so far," Self said during his postgame press conference.

The problem did not start against Fordham.

Kansas struggled at the line during the exhibition schedule against Louisville and Duke.

Against Duke, the Jayhawks finished 18-for-27.

Duke converted 27 of its 33 attempts.

That is a nine-point gap from the free-throw line alone.

"You can't get outscored nine points at home from the free-throw line," Self said.

Self knows that margin can decide games against top-tier programs.

Even when the offense produces from the field, missed free throws prevent Kansas from creating separation.

The Jayhawks shot 58.3 percent from the field against Fordham and grabbed 50 rebounds.

Yet the free-throw percentage stands out as a glaring weakness.

Kansas has several experienced players capable of taking on bigger offensive responsibilities.

Tre White, Melvin Council Jr. and Trey Kaufman-Renn are among them.

Council finished the opener with 10 points, seven assists and six rebounds.

Kaufman-Renn, a transfer from Purdue, posted nine points, five rebounds and two assists in 23 minutes.

Self believes both players have another level to reach.

"I think [Council] played pretty well tonight," Self said.

"I still think there's another step he can get to, and certainly with Kaufman-Renn there is as well."

Self praised Kaufman-Renn's basketball IQ.

He noted that the forward was already calling out plays despite spending limited time with the team.

"He just knows how to play," Self said.

But even with those additions, the free-throw issue remains.

Free throws are uncontested shots.

They are the most basic scoring opportunity in basketball.

A 53.3 percent team rate is below the national average for Division I men's basketball.

The average Division I team typically shoots between 70 and 72 percent from the line.

Kansas is currently 17 to 19 percentage points below that mark.

Over a 40-minute game, that differential can cost a team between eight and 12 points.

Against a team like Duke, that is the difference between a win and a loss.

Self understands the math.

He has built his program on toughness, execution and attention to detail.

The Jayhawks have won two national championships under Self, in 2008 and 2022.

They have made the NCAA tournament in every full season since 2000.

Self has coached multiple All-Americans and NBA lottery picks.

But this roster is still learning to play together.

Council and Kaufman-Renn are fitting in, but Self said the team is not totally comfortable yet.

"Those guys are fitting in nicely, but I still don't think we're totally comfortable with that yet," Self said.

Free-throw shooting is often a matter of routine, confidence and repetition.

It is one of the few skills a player can practice alone without a defender.

Yet Kansas has struggled to convert in game conditions.

The Jayhawks will face Middle Tennessee State next.

That game is not expected to be a major test.

But the schedule gets harder.

Big 12 conference play begins in January.

The league features programs like Houston, Baylor, Arizona and Iowa State.

Those teams will punish free-throw misses.

If Kansas cannot improve its percentage, close games will slip away.