MCLAMB: Freeman Owed A Debt Of Gratitude

When Allerik Freeman sat down to answer questions following NC State’s loss to Seton Hall in the NCAA Tournament and the subsequent end of his career as a college basketball player, he wore the look of someone who had little interest in being there.

When Freeman was asked questions from the media however, his answers were expansive and sincere. It mirrored his season at NC State.

Kevin Keatts was named NC State’s head coach March 7th of last year and famously declared “Kevin Keatts is a winner.” to those assembled inside Reynolds Coliseum.

So far, so good for the Wolfpack. Keatts took a team that was coming off back-to-back losing seasons and projected to finish 12th in the ACC in his first season in charge and guided them well beyond expectations.

When it comes to success and hope being provided by first-year head coaches, this is not NC State’s first rodeo. Mark Gottfried reached the Sweet Sixteen in his first campaign in charge of the Wolfpack. It runs deeper that that.

In each of their respective first seasons in charge at NC State, Sidney Lowe and Herb Sendek both led teams that picked up steam as their campaign progressed. Ultimately Lowe and Sendek had teams that  played for the ACC Tournament title. The ensuing NIT berth seemed like a mere distraction from the glory ahead.

Even Les Robinson, who came to NC State in 1990 amid chaos and with stifling restrictions looming that were largely self-imposed by the university, reached the NCAA Tournament in his first season in Raleigh.

The future appears bright under Keatts and it will be interesting to see how his teams fare in the coming years, especially when comprised solely of players he brought to NC State.

Immediately after Keatts arrived at NC State, the bridge to that bright future started to be constructed.

Enter Allerik Freeman.

Freeman was not the only graduate transfer. Sam Hunt arrived from North Carolina A&T and was a key contributor late in the season.

Nor was Freeman the only senior. Abdul-Malik Abu and Lennard, the other Freeman, both were able to bookend their college career with a return to the NCAA Tournament despite uneven seasons at best.

In his final nine games, Allerik Freeman scored 195 points (an average of 21.7 points per contest). He saved his best for last.

Freeman finished with 36 points and seven rebounds in the loss to Seton Hall. Despite getting close several times, including trailing by only three points with eight minutes remaining, it never seemed like the Wolfpack would climb over the hump.

And now it is future NC State teams that will have to try to make that next step.

If Keatts can guide the Pack to glory it will be monumental for the program, the university and the city of Raleigh. It is hard to articulate just how massive a NC State title in basketball would be.

When that day comes, only a precious few will get to climb the ladder to cut down the net. Allerik Freeman, a Baylor alum who spent one season with the Wolfpack, will not be one of them.

However, It will be important not to forget those who built the bridge that helped the program get back to prominence and potentially expedited the process for NC State’s genuine rebirth.

Allerik Freeman did not have the easiest path in his final season of college basketball but he stayed true to the process without complaint or excuses.

The NC State basketball program owes Freeman a debt of gratitude. If it becomes a champion again, it should not forget the work he put in to help them get there.