Brad Beal Elite coach Gary Buchanan is a member of the 2019 Villanova University Varsity Club Hall of Fame.
Buchanan, a former star for the Wildcats who went on to play professionally overseas, is one of the greatest free throw shooters in the history of the college game.
As introduced in the press release from Villanova:
If Gary Buchanan was heading to the free throw line, odds were he was going to convert. Buchanan holds Villanova records for free throw percentage as a freshman (.932), sophomore (.942) and junior (.911). As a sophomore, he established an NCAA record by hitting 73 consecutive free throws and led the nation in free throw percentage. Buchanan led Villanova in scoring in both the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons with 17.8 points per game. He finished his career with 1,799 points, good for 12th in school history, and is 19th all-time with 154 steals. Buchanan was named to the BIG EAST All-Rookie team in 1999-2000 and was a two-time Honorable Mention All-BIG EAST selection.
This was the second such honor for Coach Buchanan in the last year. He was also admitted into the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame in early 2019.
As written in his bio on the Hall of Fame web site:
Gary, a three-time All-State performer, still holds all the scoring records at Valley Park (2330 points) and is still the No. 2 all time NCAA D1 free throw record holder while playing at Nova.
His 73 consecutive free throws eclipsed the previous Division I consecutive free-throw record of 64 by Joe Dykstra that had stood for two decades. But his mark lasted only 23 months when Butler’s Darnell Archery toppled his record. During his sophomore season at Villanova, in fact, Buchanan, made an astounding 97 of 103 charity tosses – a .942 percentage to lead the nation. What was his secret to his success at the line? “I take three dribbles while looking at the floor, and I don’t look at the rim until the last second,” he said in a Sports Illustrated interview. “I follow through and picture the ball going through the net.”
If you’re looking for a great coach who can also turn your son or daughter into a tremendous free throw shooter, your search is complete.
Congrats to Coach Buchanan on these prestigious honors.
