Strategy against Wake Forest guard? How about 'Squish an Ish'

When Wake Forest point guard Ish Smith hit two recent shots at the buzzer to beat Virginia Tech and Miami, you might have wondered what Hokies coach Seth Greenberg and the Hurricanes' Frank Haith were thinking.
You might want to ask them: "Why - since Smith is a 37 percent free-throw shooter - didn't you make him beat you from the foul line instead of allowing him to shoot?"

Haith addressed that in his post-game interview Tuesday at Joel Coliseum.

"You could foul, particularly with his numbers," Haith said. "But he stepped up and made (two of four) from the free-throw line. You've just got to stand in there and try to guard him. He's so good that if you give help he can find open people. You've just got to stand in there and try to guard him. He's so good that if you give help he can find open people. And they were making their shots."

That might have been the case, but there's precedent for purposefully fouling players who are poor free throw shooters at key moments. Remember Hack A Shaq? How about Squish An Ish?

As much as Smith drives to the basket, he's only been to the line 35 times this season in 19 games. That's fewer than two free throws a game.
"I"m not as bad a free throw shooter as the percentages say," said Smith, who said he changed his free-throw shooting motion earlier this season. "I'm getting more confident at the line."

- David Scott