A Wake Fan Steps Up to the Line
The case could be made that Ish Smith’s poor free-throw shooting cost Wake Forest a crack at a couple of victories two years ago—like when he went 0-for-5 from the line and the Deacons lost to Vanderbilt 83-80 and when he was 1-for-6 in an 87-79 overtime loss at Georgia Tech.
But there’s absolutely no debating that Smith’s improved touch—he shot 79 percent last season, as compared to 29 percent the season before—is going to cost Bryan Andrews and his company JBA Benefits some serious coin this season.
Andrews, a long-time Wake Forest fan and supporter, was looking for a creative way to contribute to Coach Dino Gaudio’s fourth annual Basket Ball, an event scheduled for May 8, 2010 to raise funds for the American Cancer Society through the Coaches Vs. Cancer program. So Andrews decided to have his company kick in $10 for every free throw the Deacons make this season. We’re not talking about chump change either, considering that a year ago the Deacons made 572 (out of 804) free throws. And that ranked just ninth in the ACC, so if Wake shows any improvement at all then JBA Benefits could be shelling out more than six grand.
But it’s for a good cause—or two of them, as far as Andrews is concerned. More free throws could mean more Wake victories and more money going to the treatment and hopefully one day, the cure, for cancer.