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Akron Zips men's basketball program set to honor Enrique Freeman and his No. 25 jersey
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- Akron Zips men's basketball program set to honor Enrique Freeman and his No. 25 jersey
The University of Akron men's basketball program will welcome back Enrique Freeman to Rhodes Arena on Tuesday night.
Akron is going to raise Freeman's No. 25 to the rafters as an honored jersey before a 7 p.m. game with Northern Illinois. Freeman, a rookie with the Indiana Pacers , is set to attend the event with the NBA on its all-star break.
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Fans are encouraged to arrive early and can receive 25% off tickets for Enrique Freeman Night by visiting the promo link: https://tinyurl.com/26hptqj2 .
Akron forward Enrique Freeman (25) celebrates with the Zips leading during the second half of a Mid-American Conference Tournament semifinal on March 15, 2024, in Cleveland, Ohio.
Freeman became the first UA player to be selected in the modern two-round NBA Draft era when the Pacers picked him in the second round with the 50th overall pick on June 27, 2024 .
Freeman graduated from Cleveland St. Martin de Porres High School in 2018 and earned a bachelor's degree in communications and an MBA at Akron . St. Martin de Porres retired his No. 3 jersey in January.
Here are five things to know about Freeman :
Who are the other Akron players to have their jersey honored?
Freeman , a former walk-on who originally enrolled at Akron on an academic scholarship, is the 11th player in Zips men's basketball history to have his jersey number honored.
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Freeman joins No. 12 Larry Jenkins, No. 22 Mike Harkins, No. 42 Bill Turner, No. 13 Fritz Nagy, No. 25 Eric McLaughlin, No. 44 Jim Fenton, No. 20 Len Paul, No. 31 Joe Jakubick, No. 55 Alex Adams and No. 24 Romeo Travis.
What were Akron's top team accomplishments with Freeman?
Freeman played at Akron from 2019-24 and helped the Zips to a 109-47 overall record and a 66-26 mark in the Mid-American Conference , which stands as the best five-year stretch in program history.
Freeman was a starter on Akron's 2022 and 2024 teams that won MAC Tournament championships . The Zips beat Kent State in both MAC finals and lost to UCLA and Creighton in the NCAA Tournament in 2022 in 2024 , respectively.
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Freeman was also a reserve on Akron's 2020 team that won the MAC regular-season title before the postseason was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Zips men’s basketball coach John Groce, left, and current Indiana Pacers forward Enrique Freeman, right, are framed by the MAC championship trophies they won together during Freeman’s time as a Zip during the Akron Basketball reunion and celebration at the University of Akron student union, Saturday, July 27, 2024, in Akron, Ohio.
What were Freeman's top statistical accomplishments at Akron?
Freeman played in 132 games with 122 starts and finished his UA career as the program's all-time leader in rebounds (1,405), second in blocked shots (188) and third in points (1,843). He became the sixth Zip to record 1,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds, and the fourth player in program history to score 1,800 or more points.
In 2023-24, Freeman joined North Carolina's Armando Bacot (2022) and Navy's David Robinson (1986) as the only three players in NCAA history to record 31 double-doubles in a season. He averaged 18.6 points, 12.9 rebounds, 1.7 blocks and 1.6 assists in 35 starts last season.
Akron Zips forward Enrique Freeman (25) dunks the ball during the second half of a Mid-American Conference Tournament quarterfinal against the Miami Redhawks on March 14, 2024, in Cleveland, Ohio.
Freeman set a MAC Tournament record for rebounds in a game (21) and averaged 23.7 points, 14.0 rebounds and 4.0 blocks in wins over Miami , Ohio and Kent State . He shot 26 of 39 (66.7) from the field.
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Freeman also led the nation in rebounds per game (12.9) last season and in field goal percentage (66.5, 175 of 263) in the 2021-22 season.
Akron Zips forward Enrique Freeman (25) drives to the basket against a Miami Redhawks defender during a Mid-American Conference Tournament quarterfinal on March 14, 2024, in Cleveland, Ohio.
What were the top awards that Freeman won while at Akron?
Freeman received the following awards during his Akron career:
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three-time All-MAC selection, four-time All-MAC Defensive Team selection and two-time MAC Tournament MVP
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finalist for the Oscar Robertson Award, Karl Malone Award and Lou Henson Award in 2024
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named to the Lefty Drisell Defensive All-America Team in 2024
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MAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2022
Akron's Enrique Freeman (25) whips the first piece of the net after the Zips defeated Kent State in the Mid-American Conference Tournament championship game Saturday in Cleveland.
How many Akron Zips men's basketball players have been drafted?
Freeman is the ninth Akron men's basketball player to be drafted.
Fred "Fritz" Nagy and Joe Wahl were selected in the Basketball Association of America, a league that existed for three seasons and merged with the National Basketball League to form the National Basketball Association in 1949.
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Nagy was selected by the Pittsburgh Ironmen in the second round of the 1947 BAA Draft with the 16th pick and Wahl was tabbed by the Philadelphia Warriors in the eighth round of the 1948 BAA Draft with the 89th pick.
Akron forward Enrique Freeman (25) holds up the championship trophy after the Zips defeated Kent State in the Mid-American Conference Tournament championship game on March 16, 2024, in Cleveland, Ohio.
The other previous six Akron players to get picked in NBA drafts are:
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Louis Arko, Syracuse Nationals, 1950, seventh round, 84th pick
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Bill Turner, New York Knicks, 1966, ninth round, 78th pick and San Francisco Warriors, 1967, third round, 27th pick
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Len Paul, Detroit Pistons, 1973, 11th round, 171st pick
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Nathaniel Barnett, Houston Rockets, 1975, seventh round, 119th pick
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Joe Jakubick, Cleveland Cavaliers, 1984, seventh round, 142nd pick
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Marcel Boyce, Phoenix Suns, 1987, sixth round, 122nd pick
Michael Beaven can be reached at mbeaven@thebeaconjournal .
Akron Zips forward Enrique Freeman (25) eyes down the ball against Kent State Golden Flashes center Cli'Ron Hornbeak (42) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Friday, Feb. 23, 2024, in Akron, Ohio.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron men's basketball program set to honor NBA rookie Enrique Freeman
