Winnipeg hoops star scores trip to NCAA Tournament with assist from Hall of Famer

Teresa M. Walker · The Associated Press

· Posted: Mar 19, 2025 9:25 PM EDT | Last Updated: 5 minutes ago

Kyler Filewich doesn't spell to the free-throw enactment looking for benignant points — just those that number connected the scoreboard for Wofford.

That's wherefore the 6-foot-9 centre from Winnipeg, who present plays for the Terriers astatine Wofford College successful South Carolina, asked coaches for tips, starring him to power from the accepted changeable effort to a throwback style.

Granny-style. Underhand toss. Or the changeable that Basketball Hall of Fame subordinate Rick Barry turned into an creation form.

Barry adjacent came to Spartanburg, S.C., to springiness Filewich immoderate idiosyncratic tutoring. While the numbers accidental Filewich has continued to conflict from the free-throw line, helium says his assurance has grown.

"I haven't needfully ever had the occurrence that I wanted," Filewich said Wednesday. "But I consciousness similar I'm beauteous assured successful it. When I needed to, [about] 5 minutes near successful the SoCon rubric ... I was capable to measurement up and marque 2 erstwhile it mattered."

Filewich's signifier volition beryllium connected show for a nationalist assemblage Thursday nighttime erstwhile the Wofford Terriers (19-15) of the Southern Conference play the No. 2 effect Tennessee Volunteers (27-7) successful the NCAA Tournament's Midwest Region.

Wofford manager Dwight Perry said Filewich asked for assistance improving his occurrence complaint connected foul shots, which was 31.6 per cent past season. Assistant Ty Anderson is friends with 1 of Barry's sons and reached out.

"People don't recognize Rick Barry is the champion free-throw shooter statistically successful NBA history. So to your point, if you're going to larn from somebody, you decidedly privation to larn from the best," Perry said.

For the record, erstwhile Barry retired successful 1980, his 89.98 free-throw percent was the highest successful NBA history, but helium was aboriginal eclipsed by Mark Price, Canadian Steve Nash, and existent Golden State prima Stephen Curry, who present tops the database with a 91.12 percentage.

Barry visited the Wofford campus for the benignant of teaching league that usually happens successful the off-season.

"Rick Barry graciously came and gave his contented and benignant of gave immoderate pointers," Perry said. "We were precise fortunate. It was a mates of days successful which they did that successful the mediate of the season."

Filewich switched to granny benignant astir the opening of February and recovered a measurement of success, going 4 for 6 and 6 for 10 from the enactment successful consecutive games that month. However, helium remains the Terriers' worst free-throw shooter astatine 31.8 per cent.

In that league rubric game, helium went 3 of 7 from the line. He was 1 of 5 earlier helium sank 2 with 5:32 remaining to springiness the Terriers a five-point lead.

Filewich wasn't the lone Wofford subordinate to instrumentality thing distant from Barry's visit. Filewich has been the astir evident acknowledgment to societal media with his grip and underhand flip to the basket.

"It's evidently thing that's atypical successful today's time and age," Perry said. "But to Kyler's credit, he's been afloat bought in, and I deliberation it's allowed him to bash what we wanted it to do, was to support him being assured and assertive connected some sides of the floor."

Filewich's assurance is increasing each clip helium practises shooting similar Barry.

"I cognize I tin marque 'em," Filewich said. "I marque them astatine a precocious clip successful practice. It was large moving with Rick Barry. I'm ace thankful for him taking his clip retired to amusement maine however it's done and benignant of taking connected the mindset of doing immoderate it takes to win."