Akron’s Enrique Freeman Climbing NBA Draft Charts, Viewed As Possible First-Round Pick

Akron product Enrique Freeman has been hitting the NBA pre-draft circuit pretty hard and performing remarkably well.

How well? How does late first-round pick in the 2024 draft sound?

If you think it sounds pretty good, then you’ll be happy to know that is where many executives and talent-evaluators feel Freeman could be selected. More specifically, Freeman is suddenly viewed as a prospect on the rise, someone who could go in the late 20s (first round) to high 30s (early second).

Before the pre-draft process, he was viewed as maybe a late second. But he has impressed at every stop — from the Reese’s All-Star Game to the Portsmouth Invitational to the NBA Combine in May.

For a little background, Freeman is a 6-foot-7 forward who just completed his final season with the Zips. He sports a 7-2 reach. He has size and length and can hit from the outside. It’s true, as Freeman emerged as one of the top three shooters in skills testing at the Combine. He’s likely a power forward in the NBA, or a center in those popular small-ball lineups.

At Akron, he finished his career first in rebounds (1,405), second in blocks (188), and third in points (1,843). That’s as well-rounded as you get. He also tied the NCAA single-season record for double-doubles with 31 — joining former No. 1 overall pick David Robinson (1986) and Armando Bacot (2022) as the only players to accomplish the feat.

Oh, and he’s also an intelligent young man off the court — serving as class president at St. Martin De Porres High School in Cleveland. He also already has his MBA.

On the court, Freeman has worked out for multiple teams already, mostly those drafting in the Nos. 20 range and beyond. He has looming workouts with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Boston Celtics and Utah Jazz, among others.

Some consider Freeman to be this year’s Ben Sheppard, the guard from Belmont who seemingly came out of nowhere to get drafted by the Indiana Pacers with the No. 26 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.

Freeman is represented by agent Keith Kreiter of Edge Sports International.