NCAA Basketball: Early breakout stars to watch for 2022-23 season
By Shea Irish
Enrique Freeman
Is it possible for a guy that averaged nearly 11 RPG to not be considered a “breakout star” just yet? I believe it is, considering he wasn’t even selected to the MAC 1st-Team this past season. Maybe just a testament to how special the MAC was overall; Akron’s Enrique Freeman averaged 13.2 PPG, 10.8 RPG (Best in the MAC), finished 2nd in the conference in FG%, and 3rd in blocked shots a year ago but somehow only received 2nd-Team honors.
At only 6’7”, Freeman posted seven rebounds or more in 33 of Akron’s 34 games. Not to mention, he helped lead Akron to a MAC Tournament Championship and an NCAA Tournament appearance. He battled foul trouble in the Zips’ first-round loss to UCLA, but still finished the game with 14 points and 10 rebounds. He carried Akron with 23 points and 8 rebounds to upset Kent State in the MAC final and clinch the Zips auto-bid to the big dance. His best game of the season resulted in a 16-point, 18-rebound, 5-block performance at Western Michigan in February.
Depending on whether Oscar Tschiebwe and Armando Bacot head to the NBA or not, it isn’t out of the realm of possibility for Enrique Freeman to lead the nation in rebounding next season. There is also a realistic opportunity for him to win MAC Player of the Year in 2022-23, considering seven of the ten MAC players listed on the first and second teams were either seniors or have already entered the transfer portal.
If he is able to accomplish either of these achievements, the former walk-on who received zero Division 1 scholarship offers coming out of high school certainly won’t be under the radar anymore.