This season, the breakout player in Iowa City has been rookie center Owen Freeman. The Moline, Illinois native has improved during the season and emerged as one of college basketball’s future stars.
Iowa City, Iowa— This season, the breakout player in Iowa City has been rookie center Owen Freeman. The Moline, Illinois native has improved during the season and emerged as one of college basketball’s future stars.
Freeman dominated in Iowa’s 88-86 victory over Wisconsin. The 6-foot-10 big played his most complete game of the season. Freeman tallied 20 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, four blocks, and two steals against the Badgers. He has the only 20-12-6-4 record in the nation this season. This is the eighth such game since 2010-11.
“He’s a beast,” Tony Perkins observed, smiling after his tight victory. “I told him every time he was fouled, got a rebound, or made a basket, ‘You are a beast. Act like it. This is the type of player he is. He goes for it.
He can shoot the ball, make free throws, and slam on someone; he works hard. He also has me here to tell him what a great player he is. “He is a beast.”
Every time there was a pause, Perkins would come over and remind Freeman that ‘he’s a beast. Perkins’ leadership development has included inspiring his younger colleagues and assisting them in maintaining their confidence.
There has always been a lot of internal confidence about Freeman and what he can contribute to the team this season. He has five double-doubles, which is the second most since 1993, trailing only Melsahn.
Basabe had six. The most amazing aspect of Freeman is his nonstop motor. There is no possession on either end in which he is not completely invested. He has become Iowa’s rim protector while controlling the ball on the block.
“I’ve been saying from the beginning that the thing that makes him unique is that he has a bag,” Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery remarked. “A lot of times you don’t expect that from your 6’10” center of gravity. I’ve been encouraging him all year to be that guy: attack the open floor, spin, shot-fake, rip, and drive. I believe the next phase of his game will be to shoot pull-up jumpers from there.”
“His ability to influence the game from both ends was key to our victory. He was blocking shots, rebounding the ball, beginning our break, allowing others to make plays, and he did it all tonight while keeping out of foul trouble, so he’s learning.”
Freeman’s self-awareness of his skills and limitations has given admirers even more hope for his future. The big man had a career-high six assists against Wisconsin, but he picked and selected his positions throughout the game. When things don’t go his way, he doesn’t force the situation, but he does find a way to participate in the game.
Perkins, Josh Dix, and others came up big when Iowa needed them to, but Freeman’s versatility was crucial in a must-win quad 1 game.
“He’s a good player,” Wisconsin’s head coach Greg Gard stated. “He had a fantastic freshman year; he’s one of the best freshmen in the Big Ten.” He’s been really consistent and impressive from a distance when we’ve prepared for him. He’s had excellent production for a freshman.”
“We lost a couple tough ones,” McCaffery explained. “That’s tough in this league; every game is so challenging. This was a ranked opponent, and we had a large crowd who were fantastic. We arrived home at 3 a.m. the other night. You must demonstrate resilience despite having little sleep and only one day of practice. This team is tough. We beat a really excellent team.”
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