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Tony East: The Pacers have issued qualifying offers to Isaiah Jackson, Quenton Jackson, and Enrique Freeman, league source says. They’re all restricted free agents.
Dustin Dopirak: Rick Carlisle notes that Enrique Freeman had his high school number retired at his high school locally last night.
Dustin Dopirak: Carlisle says Tyrese Haliburton will play but Myles Turner is out with a non-COVID illness. Said Thomas Bryant will start at center and they'll go from there. Said they held Enrique Freeman out of the G League game today so he'd be available.
Scott Agness: Pacers assistant coach Lloyd Pierce hosting his second annual coat drive at Horizon House in downtown Indy today. Aaron Nesmith, Jarace Walker, Myles Turner, Bennedict Mathurin, Enrique Freeman, Rick Carlisle, Jim Boylen came by to support. pic.x.com/tIWI1QJSnI
Shams Charania: Indiana Pacers No. 50 pick Enrique Freeman has agreed on a two-way contract, per sources. Freeman went from a walk-on at the University of Akron to becoming player of year in Mid-American Conference, and now NBA signing. Freeman is represented by Keith Kreiter of Edge Sports. pic.x.com/sr27xaljdy
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If it weren't for his mom, Enrique Freeman would not be with the Indiana Pacers. The 23-year old forward played basketball growing up and through high school, but he didn't go to college specifically for the sport. He actually received an academic scholarship at the University of Akron. But he wasn't away from the hardwood for long. Freeman would try out for the basketball team at the MAC school and ended up walking on with the program — something he wouldn't have done if it weren't for his mom, Tania Torres.
So far, he likes his fit with the Pacers. After realizing the NBA was a possibility at the conclusion of the 2022-23 NCAA season, Freeman got to work making his game pro ready. He expanded his range and added speed. Those traits alone put him in a good spot, on paper, with Indiana. "I love it," Freeman said of his fit with the team. "They go out and run. I'm a good runner, I run the floor pretty hard." Freeman added that rebounding is his best skill, and it keeps him on the floor. His IQ is underrated in his eyes.
Tony East: Enrique Freeman is the Pacers pick at 50. He didn't even go to college to play basketball, but has built up to an NBA level player after growing a ton at Akron.
Akron Zips MBB: Enrique's jersey to live in the JAR rafters forever ♾ Stay tuned this fall for more info on honoring 2️⃣5️⃣ #GoZips | 🦘
Enrique's jersey to live in the JAR rafters forever ♾️ Stay tuned this fall for more info on honoring 2️⃣5️⃣#GoZips | 🦘 pic.twitter.com/RhlnYBWlKy
— Akron Zips MBB (@ZipsMBB) June 26, 2024
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Tony Jones: Enrique Freeman, a small forward out of Akron, will visit the Utah Jazz for a pre-draft workout this week, according to league sources….Freeman is one of the better wing defenders in the draft. His projected range, according to sources, is 20’s to 30’s
Adam Zagoria: The Boston Celtics hosted a pre-draft workout over the weekend that included the following, per league sources: Ryan Dunn (Virginia), Justin Edwards (Kentucky), Enrique Freeman (Akron), Judah Mintz (Syracuse)
Last year, some NBA teams started calling. He went through a handful of pre-draft workouts but ultimately decided to withdraw from the draft and go back to Akron for a final season. “I don’t think I had the confidence and the belief two years ago that the NBA was realistic,” Enrique Freeman said. “But after we won and after we played against teams like UCLA, it was like, well, I can play with these guys. It boosted my belief and my confidence in myself. Then NBA teams had me in for workouts and having those workouts were huge for me because not only did it help with my game, but they helped me assess my game. That’s when I really started believing that I can make it in the NBA.”
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