92.3% Free Throw Shooting
NSU Player Hopes to Follow in Some Big Footsteps
ABERDEEN, SD — Craig Nelson already talks like a coach. The Northern State University senior guard embraces his underclassman teammates as if they were his "kids." Especially when it comes to the NOAH Select Shooting System.
"All the kids on our team love it," Nelson said. "Someone will set it up in the morning and our kids will stop by the gym all day and use it. There's no wasted time. It's not like coming to the gym and shooting around. Now we practice shooting with a purpose."
What Nelson is talking about is a revolutionary technology that is a video game approach to shooting a basketball. NOAH is being used by more and more NBA, college and high school teams to improve shooting percentages by teaching the proper arc of a shot. NOAH is the first of its kind that can measure the arc degree of any shot and the depth of where it will land. NOAH determines what should be done to change the arc and thus improve percentages.
"Right away I thought it was amazing," Nelson said. "Kids are going to love it. I mean, anytime kids can see themselves on the screen and get immediate personal feedback, that's pretty cool."
Nelson used NOAH extensively when he sprained a knee earlier in the season and sat out three games. He credits NOAH with helping him shoot 36 for 39 (92.3 percent) on free throws and 52 for 105 (49.5 percent) on three pointers after 20 games. The point guard shoots 49.6 percent from the field and averages 11.3 points.
"This system helped Craig become a consistent 90 percent shooter from the free-throw line," said NOAH Basketball president John Carter. "He was already a pretty good shooter and NOAH made him better. But it is the 50 percent shooter that NOAH helps the most. These players can become 80 percent shooters in a short time."
Nelson hopes to become a third-generation high school coach after he's done playing. His father Dave Nelson has coached 25 years and is currently the boys basketball coach and athletic director at May-Port-CG High School in North Dakota. His grandfather, Ed Beyer, is the winningest high school coach in North Dakota history with 678 victories.
Besides the pedigree, Nelson has been playing under legendary coach Don Meyer, who is No. 2 on the NCAA coaching wins list behind Bob Knight.
"I'm definitely going into high school coaching," Nelson said. "And I'm going to do whatever I can to talk the administration of that school into buying a NOAH. I've seen how it can help an average player become pretty dangerous from the perimeter.
"And I know the value of good shooting," Nelson added. "Good shooting teams have a chance to win games even if they have lesser talent. So NOAH is going to be a part of my team."
It's a good bet that his "kids" will love it.