---Warning to everyone, the following post is not without invective.---
Courtmagic, if you really want to criticize me for being 1-6 (1-7, actually) in my first season at DI, that's your decision, but do a little research first.
You at DIII: three seasons, 48-19 record, one-and-done in your only NT bid.
Me at DIII: twelve seasons, 251-117 record, eight NT bids (one one-and-done,) one NT championship.
I may have been harsh, but your "I'll bet a paycheck" comment was pure bluster from a player that hasn't been in the game very long, and it's just plain wrong. If a player has 8 FTAs per game, an extra 25% FT (the difference between an A- and a C) nets you 1 (one) point per game. You're wasting your time going after high-FT players when, at DIII, you DO have targets out there with better LP, REB, or ATH then what you get when you shoot for the FT guys. I'll take (ATH/SPD/REB/LP/FT) a 50/50/60/60/F guy ahead of even a 45/45/50/50/A guy any day.
I made a legitimate (though harsh) criticism of your strategy. And you made it personal, taking a potshot at my record in my first year with a D- prestige Div I school, where 3 of the 11 players I use are my own recruits and everyone is learning new offensive and defensive sets.
Let's make it personal, then: I have a national championship. You don't. I have fifteen postseason wins. You have none. In my last eight years at Lawrence, I had a sub-50 RPI - in my last five, it was sub-15. Unless you have another username, you have not yet played a single in-conference game with a single one of your own recruits.
Contrary to your unspoken assertion, my opinion IS more likely to be correct than yours. You'll also notice that Cobb and Redbaron (1561 total wins) agree with me.
To put it simply, the best way to avoid losing those close games on missed FTs is to score more points so the games aren't so damn close.