John Bol free throws, explained: Why UCF big man adopted bizare one-arm motion at the line initially appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
UCF’s John Bol is 7-foot-2, but it surely’s his routine at the 15-foot line that has turned the sophomore heart right into a viral sensation throughout the 2026 season.
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Stepping to the stripe, Bol abandons the conventional guide-hand strategy for a weird, one-armed flick that entails twisting the ball again towards his physique earlier than a snapping launch. While the kind has been referred to as every part from “AI-generated slop” to the basketball equal of a Charles Barkley golf swing, the logic behind the change is solely practical.
For Bol and the UCF teaching workers, the ugly mechanics are a small worth to pay for a developmental undertaking who has reworked from a bench-warmer right into a official postseason inside menace.
Here’s extra on Bol’s distinctive free throw motion.
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John Bol free throws
Bol has one among the most original free throw motions in school basketball, utilizing one hand when he’s at the stripe.
The heart takes his left hand off the ball when releasing his shot. After scuffling with a extreme case of the “yips” and capturing simply 50% as a freshman at Ole Miss, Bol adopted the one-handed motion to simplify his mechanics and take away the further variables of his huge 7-foot-9 wingspan.
The outcomes, as unusual as they appear, are laborious to argue with. Bol has defied the eye check by enhancing his free-throw capturing to a sturdy 68.1% for the Knights, changing into a dependable late-game presence in a high-octane Big 12.
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SN AWARDS: All-America team | Player of the Year | Coach of the Year
Where is John Bol from?
Bol’s journey to the Big 12 is a narrative of speedy transformation that spans 1000’s of miles and a whole shift in athletic focus. Born in Boma, South Sudan, Bol grew up in a family the place soccer was the major ardour—he was a loyal fan of Cristiano Ronaldo and initially had little or no curiosity in basketball.
His path to the United States started at age 16, when he moved from South Sudan (having additionally frolicked in Kenya) to pursue higher instructional and athletic alternatives. Remarkably, Bol didn’t even decide up a basketball till 2021.
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After an opportunity encounter at a neighborhood courtroom in Georgia, he was found by scouts and finally joined the Overtime Elite program in Atlanta. By the time he graduated highschool, he had transitioned from a whole novice to a consensus four-star recruit and the No. 1 ranked participant in the state of Georgia. He started his collegiate profession at Ole Miss earlier than transferring to UCF for the 2025–26 season, the place he has develop into one among the most recognizable defensive anchors in the nation.
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Is John Bol associated to Bol Bol?
Despite their shared residence nation and similar final title, John Bol will not be associated to Bol Bol or his father, the late NBA legend Manute Bol.
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While it’s common for followers to imagine a household connection — particularly on condition that each are 7-foot-2 and initially from South Sudan — the title “Bol” is extraordinarily widespread amongst the Dinka individuals of that area. In truth, John Bol’s journey into basketball is completely separate from the Bol household dynasty; he grew up as a soccer fan and didn’t even decide up a basketball till 2021, practically a decade after Bol Bol had already develop into a highschool sensation.
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