Montana State Basketball: In-depth look at senior guard Harald Frey
By Bryan Mauro
Why you should know Frey
The senior guard arrived in Bozeman, MT by way of Oslo, Norway. In Norway, he played amateur basketball in the premier Norwegian Pro League. In Norway it was not uncommon to play against players older than him, not many were as talented. He was able to post scoring averages of 17 points per game to go along with five assists and three steals. Once the guard arrived at Montana State he didn’t skip a beat. He became the second consecutive Bobcat to win the Big Sky Freshman of the Year, following Tyler Hall.
Watching the Bobcats, Frey is their leader on the court. He is one of the better defenders in the league. Coach Sprinkle is going to have the luxury of putting Frey on the opponent’s best player and not have to worry about Frey struggling or not knowing what to do. Frey can also play defense within the team concept. Meaning he does not have to be isolated or hidden and is not going to play any less hard if not given the challenge of defending the best player of the opponent.
The Norwegian is also one of the most well-rounded guards in the country. He can score from everywhere on the floor. Frey is a tremendous shooter from deep and being from a foreign country already has had the luxury of the new extended three-point line that the NCAA is going to utilize this year. The guard should still put up good numbers from deep. He is also able to get to the rim for the easy baskets.
His ability to get to the rim is one thing, but the guard gets to the rim and usually gets fouled. He led the Bobcats in free throws last year with 137 makes in 162 attempts. That was good for 85% from the line. The six assists and the five rebounds per game further reinforce that Frey can impact a game in a number of ways. He is the player who is most critical to the success of the Bobcats, especially when losing a player who could score like Hall.