There‘s an obvious correlation between assists and baskets made, along with a less clearcut link to free throws tried and made. Per Wikipedia, a basketball assist is attributed to a player who passes the ball to a teammate in a way that leads directly to a score by field goal, meaning that they were “assisting” on the basket. An assist is also credited when a basket is awarded due to defensive goaltending.
In Dean Smith’s UNC practices, players were credited with assists if their passes led to a free throw attempt.
But clarity can be elusive. For instance, a basket created off the dribble may or may not lead to a score and be recorded as an assist.