Calmness, Repetition Key for Tarczewski at Free Throw Line
by Daniel Crespo
It’s not easy to be perfect in an imperfect game, but junior center Kaleb Tarczewski is constantly working hard to do everything he can to be at his very best every time he takes the floor.
The Claremont, N.H., native has been a dominate presence in the low post for Arizona the past two years, getting things done on both sides of the ball. Last season, Tarczewski led all starting players with a .584 field goal percentage, was second in blocks with 36 and finished third in scoring with a total of 358 points during his successful sophomore campaign.
One particular facet of the seven-footer’s game that drastically improved from year one to year two was the increase in his free throw percentage. During his freshman year, Tarczewski shot .633 from the line, putting him near the bottom of the stat books for Arizona that year. As a sophomore, he finished with a .756 free throw percentage, putting him third on the team behind former Wildcat and current Houston Rocket Nick Johnson and classmate Brandon Ashley. Tarczewski made 102 free throws in 2013-14, nearly doubling his output from his freshman year.
Tarczewski credits his hard work in the gym and on the practice court during the offseason between his freshman and sophomore year for his effective ability to sink shots from the foul line.
“A lot of it was taking the time to be in the gym taking extra shots,” Tarczewski said. “I think a lot of it had to do with me coming back for my second year. It made it a lot easier, and it was a little more comfortable out there.”
Legendary Indiana University basketball coach Bobby Knight once said that mental toughness is to physical toughness, as four is to one. In other words, he is saying that you need to be in the right state of mind every time you take the floor. You need to be able to focus on what needs to be done and limit all external distractions so you can perform your best on the court. No other time during a game is that more true than when you are called to take two foul shots in a hostile environment with students and fans screaming at you.
For Tarczewski, he knows that it is a constant battle to stay focused and relaxed, while also paying attention the little details every time he takes his shots.
“I’m always working on the little things,” he said. “You have to think that you’ll get fouled at least once a game. If you’re an 80-90 percent free-throw shooter, that’s potentially two points you can add to your game. I think that’s an incredibly important thing to do, to work on. Coach Miller says that free throws win championships; they’re easy points, so working on that is always a good thing.”
When the time comes for the big man to step up and take his shots, he knows what he needs to think about and what he needs to do to help his team. Though many might find that opportunity scary and pressure-filled, he finds it somewhat relaxing.
“Just shoot,” Tarczewski said. “I know how to shoot. I’ve done it thousands of times in my lifetime. There’s really nothing that goes through my mind. It’s kind of calming.”
Tarczewski will be looking to build on his already-improved percentage this season because he knows what that will do for the team during clutch time. But when it comes down to the final seconds with Arizona tied and number 35 is called to the line to take the deciding shots, when some of the fans in McKale Center are unable to watch and the fans watching on TV have to look away, they can be rest assured that the seven-footer from New Hampshire is calmly prepared to take the final shots in the clutch moments.