The University of Akron Athletics
Enrique Freeman Named Mid-American Conference Player of the Year
March 13 | Men's Basketball
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Enrique Freeman was named the Mid-American Conference Player of the Year as the conference office announced its all-conference awards on Wednesday.
Freeman becomes the fourth player in Akron history to be named the MAC Player of the Year; joining Romeo Travis (2007), Isaiah Johnson (2017), and Loren Cristian Jackson (2020). Freeman was also a unanimous selection by the 11 opposing head coaches.
He has also been named a top-five finalist for the Karl Malone Power Forward Award along with being named to the Oscar Robertson Award All-America Watch list and Lou Henson Player of the Year Watch list.
Earning All-MAC First Team honors for the second year in a row and All-Defensive Team honors for the fourth consecutive season, Freeman led the conference in double-doubles (28), rebounds per game (12.8), total rebounds (397), defensive rebounds per game (9.16), and field goal percentage (.584). He is first in the NCAA in double-doubles (28), rebounds per game, and total rebounds.
Along with his 18.1 points per game and 12.8 rebounds per game, he is averaging 1.6 assists per game, 0.8 steals per game, and has recorded a career-high 48 blocks this season.
Starting all 31 games, Freeman recorded double-figure scoring in every game this season while recording 28 double-doubles. He has also scored in double-digits in 45 consecutive games where he has recorded 38 double-doubles over that span.
Freeman is the only player in the MAC to average a double-double and has scored 20-plus points in 14 games and recorded 20+ points and 10+ rebounds 13 times.
During the 2023-24 season, Freeman became just the sixth player in program history to record 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds as he recorded the feat in a 77-71 win over FIU. He also became the first player since 1959 to record 1,300 or more rebounds in his career.
Freeman is currently fourth in all-time scoring with 1,751 points and second in all-time rebounding with 1,349 in his career at Akron.
Freeman earned All-MAC First Team and All-Defenisve Team honors in 2023 while being named the 2022 MAC Defensive Player of the Year. He also earned All-MAC second team honors in 2022 while being named to the All-Defensive Team in 2021.
