Houston’s J’Wan Roberts Shot 150 Free Throws Every Practice—And It Paid Off

Practice makes perfect.

J’Wan Roberts hits a free throw against Duke. / Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images

The Houston Cougars pulled off a comeback for the ages on Saturday night, closing their Final Four matchup against the Duke Blue Devils with a 9–0 run over the final 40 seconds to steal victory from the jaws of defeat.

For the Cougars, the most clutch shots of the night came from J’Wan Roberts, who stepped to the free throw line and hit two foul shots with just 19 seconds to play—the first tied the game, the second took the lead.

After the game, Roberts was asked how he was able to keep his cool under the unreal pressure of the moment. Roberts said it all came down to practice.

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“Just trusting my work. I shoot 150 free throws every day before I finish practice. I have a manager with me, or a coach, that shoots with me everyday until I make 150,” Roberts said. “Being in this moment, I feel like I was ready for it. I was built for it. I try not to get sidetracked by everything. Just trusting in my work and believing.”

“Being in this moment, I feel like I was ready for it, I feel like I was built for it” 👏@TheAndyKatz caught up with J'Wan Roberts after Houston's STUNNING comeback victory over Duke in the #MFinalFour 🗣️#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/dbsUFZIiBR

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 6, 2025

Every single day, kids across the country imagine they’re standing at the foul line with a chance to win the game for their team. Roberts played out the dream scenario of a nation in reality on Saturday night for Houston, and when it came time for him to hit his shots, he did it, unfazed.

They say practice makes perfect, and they say it for a reason.

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