Note: This is part of an ongoing series previewing the 2009-10 Hoyas.
Junior Austin Freeman finds himself the elder statesman of the 2009-10 Georgetown squad.
Freeman has been an impact player since his arrival on the Hilltop in the fall of 2007. He played every game of his freshman season, and fit in well as a role player on that year’s experienced Hoyas unit, eventually earning a starting spot. He averaged 9.1 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.6 assists while shooting well from just about everywhere, converting 51.3% of field goals, 81.6% from the stripe, and 40.0% from three-point range. The 6’4″, 230-lb. guard/forward sported a diverse and assertive offensive game, including a series of mid-range fakes and up-and-unders. Like many freshman, Freeman wore down a bit late in the season, but hopes were high for his sophomore season.
Last year, Freeman seemed to both progress and regress. On the one hand, Freeman took on a larger role, averaging 11.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.0 assists, all of which exceeded his per-minute output the season before. He was also the team’s most efficient offensive player, and committed turnovers at the lowest rate on the team. However, Freeman also lost his shooting touch, dipping to 48.2% from the field, 75.5% from the stripe, and, worst of all, 30.6% from three. (For stat-ies, that’s a 5% drop in true shooting percentage.) He had some particularly rough (and sometimes passive) outings in conference play, including against DePaul, Villanvoa, and Seton Hall. Given that he was often effectively playing small forward, he did not rebound as forcefully as needed, and there were questions as to his conditioning, perhaps inevitable given his stocky build.
This season, particularly with the departure of last season’s leading scorer, DaJuan Summers, Freeman must take on a leading role, and at least one blogger is predicting such a surge. He will start, whether as an off guard alongside fellow junior Chris Wright and freshman Hollis Thompson, or as a small forward, with Jason Clark at the off guard, and will get as many minutes as he can handle. He’s shown the ability to take over games in the past, and has the all-around game that should keep defenders guessing. Off-season reports from the Kenner League note that Freeman scored at will, including from the line, took a leadership role on a team with Hoya frosh Vee Sanford, and appeared much slimmed-down from last year. (More favorable reviews here, here, here, here, and here. Freeman also apparently took too tweeting in the off-season…this may not be a good thing.) Freeman needs to penetrate not just to get his own points, but to create opportunities for less-offensively inclined inside players like Henry Sims and Julian Vaughn. Like Wright, he’ll be counted to carry the load offensively but to lead the team with maturity and resilience that the Hoyas lacked last year.
