AKRON, Ohio — Akron Zips Men's Basketball forward Enrique Freeman has had quite the season, and as he enters the Mid-American Conference tournament this week, he does so with some new hardware after being named the 2023-24. MAC Player of the Year.
Freeman earned the conference's highest honor Wednesday, voted unanimously by the league's other 11 head coaches, with coaches unable to vote for their own student-athletes.
While Akron's head coach, John Groce, was unable to vote for Freeman himself, he said he knew his star forward was taking home the hardware this year.
"I hate to say it but I thought it was so obvious that he was going to win it," Groce said, smiling. "Assuming is not necessarily a good thing most of the time, but I thought he had a pretty good shot at it to be honest. And he deserved it. The way he had played throughout the course of the year, both in non-league play and in league play, he was very deserving of the award."
Freeman was showered with praise from his teammates throughout their final practice before the MAC Tournament on Wednesday, the news announced in front of his teammates. While the team is excited for Freeman, the forward gives the credit back to them.
"It feels good, it feels nice. I'm very grateful for the award. It really is truly, like coach says, a team award. I wouldn't be the player of the year if it wasn't for the team, my team, our team. And they do a good job getting me the ball and helping me with the double trap, with the trap, triple trap. So kudos to them as well," Freeman said.
Freeman is 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).
In addition to the MAC Player of the Year, Freeman is 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.
