Corhen evolving into a great shooter for FSU

By Chuck Walsh
Seminoles.com

Just after daybreak on a recent morning, sophomore Cam Corhen briskly walked with confidence into the Florida State basketball training center.

Never mind that the Seminoles had been on the road and beaten rival Miami, 84-75, the night before. Never mind that the Seminoles arrived back to campus well after midnight. Never mind that the temperature in the Panhandle of Florida was just below freezing.

And never mind that he had tied a long-standing school record for field goal percentage in a single game with his seven of seven shooting performance while scoring 16 points against the Hurricanes just 12 hours prior to beginning his morning workout.

Corhen is now one of five players to be perfect on at least seven field goal attempts in an ACC game in school history.

Corhen entered last Saturday’s game against Clemson ranked 13 in school history for career field goal shooting percentage with a .568 mark. He shot .516 from the field as a freshman, and buoyed by his perfect performance against Miami, is shooting a career-high .618 from the field as a sophomore.

“I’ve always had a feel for shooting, but I wouldn’t consider myself a great shooter,” said Corhen. “I’ve always worked hard to be a good shooter since I was young. My dad definitely instilled the importance of being a good shooter in me since I began playing basketball.”

His dad, Richard, was an outstanding shooter during his 120-game career at the University of Georgia (1982-85). During his career as a Bulldog, Richard shot better than 50 percent from the field as a member of Georgia’s 1983 SEC Championship and NCAA Final Four teams.

Corhen’s daily routine began during the summer of 2023 with associate head coach Stan Jones and has continued throughout the season. What started as daily teaching sessions with Jones has developed into twice daily practice sessions, as Corhen would return to the court each night to perfect what Jones had taught him earlier in the day.

The instruction comes on all types of shots – from touch shots around the basket, to hook shots, to mid-range jump shots, to free throws with each morning workout lasting about 45 minutes. He then heads for class and back to the gymnasium in the early afternoon for practice with his teammates.

“I go hard every morning,” said Corhen. “I work on my touch around the rim and on my mid-range jumpers to help me develop a rhythm that translates into our games. My shooting workouts help me get focused for our games.”

Corhen was certainly focused against Miami.

His first field goal against the Hurricanes came as a driving lay-up to give the Seminoles a 19-15 lead. He earned a steal under the Seminoles’ basket and turned that into a quick layup to increase the Seminoles lead to nine points at 29-20. He followed with another layup, then a dunk, then offensive rebound and a put back dunk.

Corhen finished the first half with 11 points (he added a free throw after his fifth basket) on a perfect five of five shooting from the field. His efforts helped the Seminoles shoot .514 percent from the field as a team and gave them a 45-35 lead at halftime.

“Honestly, I felt after the first few buckets that I was going to have a good night,” said Corhen. “But I was focused on winning and didn’t until the end of the game when Coach Ham mentioned in the locker room that I went seven for seven.”

Corhen was a perfect on both of his field goal attempts in the second half to bring his total to a perfect seven-of-seven.

A high percentage dunk gave Florida State a 10-point lead with just over 13 minutes remaining, and he put his jump shooting abilities on display with a shot from just outside the paint to increase the Seminoles’ lead to 71-62.

“My mindset when I shoot is just to remember what I have worked on and been taught to do,” said Corhen. “If I think about what I have been taught, I am confident my shots will fall consistently.”

Jones, one of the noted shooting experts in college basketball is often seen working one-on-one with Corhen on his shooting techniques.

“Shooting is such a fine-tuned motor skill that you can’t be away from it and you fall right back in rhythm,” said Jones. “Cam is just now getting back up to game speed and the rhythm he was at before the toe injury knocked him out for plus weeks. He is a willing worker and is both coachable and teachable. 

“He was frustrated as he came back into full-time participation but has grasped the maturity that all good things have a time frame associated to it happening. Hopefully getting those early interior makes versus Miami will strengthen his trust in his work. His ceiling is still way out there for his development.”

Corhen, who also shot a perfect five-of-five from the field and scored 11 points in Florida State’s victory over Virginia Tech on Jan. 6, is shooting .760 percent from the field (19 of 25) during the Seminole’s current five-game ACC winning streak.

“Coach Jones has helped me understand the difference between a good shot and a great shot,” said Corhen. “He has taught me that’s just as important as working on my shooting fundamentals. He has helped me become a student of the game and a better basketball player.”