College Basketball Preview: Top 10 Scorers from the Free Throw Line

Getting to the line and knocking down your shots is one of the most efficient ways to help your team.

You are not only scoring points when the clock isn't ticking, but you are also drawing fouls that might put your opponent on the bench.

Here are the top 10 returning scorers in college basketball from the free throw line.

They not only got to the line a lot last year, but they made the other team pay for putting them there by scoring a ton of points, by making their freebies. These players will probably do the same this year, too.

10. Marcus Jordan: Central Florida

Marcus Jordan—yes, he is one of MJ's sons—set a UCF record last year by dropping in 160 free throws, 5.3 made per game.

Jordan, a 6' 3" guard who averaged a team-high 15.2 points per game—ninth in Conference USA—shot 80 percent from the line.

9. Orlando Johnson: UC-Santa Barbara

One of the reasons that Orlando Johnson scored 21.1 ppg for UCSB is that he went to the line 198 times and connected on 160 (81 percent).

Johnson, a 6' 5" wing, who played on Team USA at the World University Games this summer, will be one of the top scorers in college basketball in 2011-12.

8. Casper Ware: Long Beach State

Good things happen for the Beach when Casper Ware has the ball in his hands.

Last year, the 5' 10" guard was an AP All-American: Honorable Mention selection.

He scored 17.2 points per game—second in the Big West Conference—partly by knocking down 161out of 199 FTs (81 percent).

7. Carl Jones: St. Joe's

Carl Jones not only led St. Joseph's in visible tattoos, but he was also the Hawks' leading scorer in 2010-11 with 17.0 ppg.

Jones hit 165 out of 221 freebies (74.7 percent), which is one of the reasons why he went for double-figures in all but three of SJU's games.

6. Jared Cunningham: Oregon State

If there was such a thing, Jared Cunningham would be on the All-Pest team.

Cunningham, a 6'4" guard, connected on 166-of-213 free throws (77.9 percent). 

He also led the Pac 10 and was No. 5 in the nation in steals (2.83 per game).

Last season, Cunningham made 15-of-15 free throws against George Washington, the most in a game without a miss in school history

5. Jared Sullinger: Ohio State

It most likely comes as no surprise to any college basketball fan that a player like Jared Sullinger gets to the line.

What might be unexpected is how well he shoots from the charity stripe.

Buckeyes' head coach, Thad Matta, doesn't have to hold his breath when the big fella heads to the line. 

Sullinger, last year's national freshman player of the year, went to the line 250 times and connected on 176 of his attempts (70.4 percent).

4. C.J. Reed: Central Florida

After playing three years at Bethune-Cookman, C.J. Reed is taking his game to Orlando to play at UCF for his final season.

Reed, a 6' 3" guard who averaged 19.1 ppg last season, went 179-for-219 from the line (81.7 percent).

Reed and Marcus Jordan (No. 10 on this list) will drive Central Florida's opponents crazy trying to keep them off the line. 

3. Arsalan Kazemi: Rice

Arsalan Kazemi has averaged a double-double during his career at Rice University (12.9 ppg and 10 rpg). 

Kazemi, a 6' 7," 220 pound forward from Iran, was one of the most efficient players in the nation last season, largely because he hit 195 free throws of his 487 points.

That's 40 percent of his points from the line.

Kazemi has been named to the 2011-12 Lute Olson Preseason All-America team.

2. C.J. McCollum: Lehigh

In 2010-11. C.J. McCollum led the Patriot League, and finished ninth in the nation in scoring (21.8 ppg).

He also led the PL in free throw percentage, with 84.5 percent. What makes this even better for the Mountain Hawks is that McCollum hit 197-of-233 FTs.

That's a bunch of freebies for the 6' 3" guard from Canton, Ohio.

1. Tu Holloway: Xavier

Tu Holloway, Xavier's do-everything senior guard, is the best scorer from the line in the nation.

Last year, Holloway hit 233-of-268 FTs and was No. 1 in made FTs in the nation among all D-I players with 86.9 percent. That's 36 more FTs than anyone else on this list.

In 2010-11, he averaged going to the line 8.6 times per game.

Tu was a perfect 17-for-17 last year when the Musketeers drubbed Richmond on the road by 23 points.

Rightfully, Holloway is on virtually every national award watch-list and preseason All-American team.