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When Kyler Filewich stepped to the free-throw line with 5:32 to play in the Southern Conference championship game, with Wofford leading 77-74 and an NCAA Tournament berth tantalizingly close, the Terriers held their breath.
A key chance for Wofford to extend its lead and pad its postseason hopes hung on a career 34 percent free-throw shooter.
What happened next took a lot of people watching by surprise. Filewich, a 6-foot-9 senior center, took a dribble, brought the ball down in front of him with both hands, bent his knees and let it fly, shooting underhand. Both shots fell through the net.
Though he finished just 3-of-7 from the line, Filewich’s two makes helped the Terriers beat Furman 92-85 and secure Wofford’s first tournament appearance since 2019.
Now, Filewich’s unusual form will be on display Thursday when 15th-seeded Wofford meets second-seeded Tennessee in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Lexington, Ky.
The Terriers haven’t even tipped, and already they have a viral March Madness sensation.
“There’s been a lot of media attention, but that’s definitely not why I did it,” Filewich told The Athletic. “I was struggling so bad, and I made a change to help our team. I’m just doing whatever it takes to win.”
Filewich paused, and laughed.
“I’m definitely not worried about looking cool. This is not about ‘building my brand.’”
Wofford’s Kyler Filewich with the underhand free throw shots!! pic.twitter.com/2jRvGn33u4
— Mid-Major Basketball (@midmajorball) March 11, 2025
When Wofford coach Dwight Perry and his staff approached Filewich in early February and suggested a mechanical change to his free-throw shooting motion, Filewich was skeptical. Did they really think shooting underhand was the answer? Like, granny style?
Then Perry sweetened the deal: What if Rick Barry, the godfather of underhanded free-throw shooting, came to the Spartanburg, S.C., campus and tutored Filewich one-on-one?
Suddenly, the Winnipeg, Manitoba, native was more interested.
A solid free-throw shooter in practice, Filewich struggled mightily in games. Draining foul shots when it counted most had become a major mental block. Filewich hit rock bottom on Jan. 29 after a 74-67 loss to Virginia Military Institute, when he went 0-of-8 from the line.
Filewich leads Wofford in assists (3.1 per game), is a strong defender and has the most rebounds (318) in a single season in program history. But he had the free-throw yips. And Perry and his staff were determined to find a fix.
“In any sport, even great players have those mental blocks,” Perry said. “Sometimes there’s a psychological aspect to it that you can’t quite figure out. At the end of the day, Kyler is a really good player. … But him missing free throws was really impacting his overall confidence.”
One of Wofford’s assistants, Tysor Anderson, played at Georgia Tech. So did Barry’s son Drew. Though the two didn’t overlap, Anderson and Wofford had an in with the eight-time NBA All-Star, who is 80.
Perry credits Filewich for being open to trying something new. Of course, it’s easier to consider something unconventional when one of the 50 greatest players of all time is endorsing it.
Barry is one of the best free-throw shooters in the history of professional basketball. A Hall of Famer, his career 88 percent is No. 1 in ABA history, and his 89 percent clip through 10 NBA seasons ranked No. 1 all-time when he retired in 1980. (Steph Curry owns the record now, at 91.12 percent.)
But Barry is more than the guy with a weird underhanded free throw. He was a scoring machine as a pro, the only player in the history of hoops to lead the NCAA, ABA and NBA in scoring.
Still, Barry isn’t asked often to share his free-throw secrets.
“It actually doesn’t happen very much, which is crazy when you think about it,” Barry said. “This is scientifically proven to be the best method! It’s such a soft shot. When they called, my first question was, is (Kyler) serious? Because I’m not going to waste my time.”
Filewich absolutely was serious. And while many Gen Zers probably aren’t familiar with Barry, Filewich is a basketball junkie with a special appreciation for the history of the game. He figured he could learn a lot from Barry — and not just about free-throw shooting.
The most impressive part, according to Barry: How quickly Filewich picked up the new technique. Changing shooting form in the middle of winter is unusual for anyone — it’s typically something done in the offseason — but Filewich adapted instantly.
They talked, too, about how to deal with hecklers. Barry understood that worrying about what other people think is natural, especially for a college kid. So he shared some advice he’d got from his father years ago: “They can’t boo you if you’re making them.”
Plus, sometimes fans are funny. Years ago, Canyon Barry, Rick’s son who played at Florida and the College of Charleston and was on Team USA’s 3×3 squad last summer at the Paris Olympics, took up shooting free throws underhand. When he missed, fans chanted, “You’re adopted!”
Filewich won’t be setting Wofford school records for free-throw percentage — he’s at 32.3 percent for the season — but he has improved since changing his motion. Before he debuted his underhand shot on Feb. 5 versus UT-Chattanooga, Filewich had connected on 24 of 79 attempts (30.4 percent). Since making the switch, he’s gone 18-of-51 (35.3 percent), including two games when he shot 60 percent or better.
“I’m proud of what he’s done,” Barry said. “He still has a way to go, but I’m just happy he’s willing to stick with it. It’s about the quality of the miss. He’s very close to being at the point where he’s going to get a lot better, a lot quicker. I really believe he can become an 80 percent free-throw shooter.”
Get to know Kyler Filewich and his journey to Wofford Basketball! pic.twitter.com/kWKi55Qe8Z
— Wofford Men’s Basketball (@WoffordMBB) January 28, 2025
Since changing techniques, there’s been an uptick in Filewich’s overall confidence, too.
“When I talked to the coaches about switching motion, they thought it could help keep me really aggressive,” Filewich said. “When I’m missing free throws, I tend to shell up. I get scared about getting fouled and lose a little bit of a chip. But now, I feel like I’m at my most confident and most aggressive, and it’s really showed up in our last couple games.
“I’m not afraid to go shoot free throws now. And even when I’m not making them, not being afraid helps me score around the basket.”
It’s helpful that should he forget to bend his knees or need other corrections, Barry is just a phone call away. Filewich still can’t believe he has the cell number of one of the greatest players of all time. Just like he couldn’t believe how vivacious that player, now a senior citizen, was when he walked into Wofford’s gym.
“He’s very spry, super energetic and engaging,” Filewich said. “He was able to walk in, step to the line and knock down free throws. He’s still got it.”
And now, because of Barry’s help, Filewich is starting to get it, too.
“When I played, I wanted to get fouled, I wanted to shoot free throws,” Barry said. “I attacked the basket relentlessly. I told Kyler, ‘You’re going to get to that point, too.’ Hopefully he has his best game ever in the NCAA Tournament.”
(Photo: John Byrum / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
