Saluki Men's Hoops 2009-10 Preview: Tony Freeman

[Ed. Note: This is the newest installment of a series previewing the 2009-10 SIU men's basketball team.  After finishing the 2008-09 season with a disappointing 13-18 record, Chris Lowery's Salukis are one year stronger and one year smarter as they will look to extract revenge on the Missouri Valley Conference teams that took advantage of a young squad.  Those teams will get their comeuppance soon enough.  And what better way to warn them than with a preview of each player that will tear their hearts out and step on their souls.]

When I was the Daily Egyptian's sports editor, I received many e-mails about the well-dressed young man sitting at the end of the bench.  They asked if he was a coach?  Kind of, but not really.  A recruit?  Kind of, but not really.

Eventually, I got around to writing a feature about Tony Freeman, a 6-foot-1 guard from Maywood, Ill.  The University of Iowa transfer sat out the 2008-09 season because of NCAA transfer rules and will look to break out in his senior year at SIU.

And for those who fear he will be rusty, take note that T-Free was named the Most Valuable Player in a tournament played in Turkey over the summer.  One of his teammates on the trip was fellow Saluki Nick Evans, and they helped topple the mighty basketball dynasties of France, Germany and Bulgaria.

So, what should fans expect from the team's lone senior?

God, Save The Salukis: Starring Tony Freeman

Welcome to the first installment of God, Save The Salukis. This is a set of features in which yours truly (fresh off covering a full season of SIU men's basketball) tries to find a clear path for the Salukis' return to NCAA Tournament play. Today's feature: Tony Freeman. The Iowa transfer will spend his senior season donning Saluki Maroon and could be a difference-maker.

I've said it once and I'll say it again: when next March rolls around, Saluki Nation will be talking about Tony Freeman in the same way Illinois State fans talked about Chamberlain "Champ" Oguchi.

Freeman is a power-conference transfer stud. Everything about him screams "man among boy." He's built like a Big Ten player and practiced like one. I'll never forget the early season practice that yielded my favorite story.

As players and coaches filed onto the SIU Arena floor, Freeman jokingly asked why none of the assmebled media members wanted to talk to him. Saluki head coach Chris Lowery responded in kind: "No one wants to talk to scrubs, Free." Chuckles ensued, and so did a show. Freeman dominated everyone that practice. On offense he scored at will and on the defense, he was a stopper.

That's when I knew he was for real.

WHY SIU WILL BE BETTER: Freeman, who averaged 13.8 points in his junior year at Iowa, should slide into the starting line-up once the ball gets bouncing next year, providing a dynamic backcourt with Freshman of the Year Kevin Dillard. However, Freeman's insertion into the starting five will bump either Justin Bocot or Ryan Hare to the bench. Unless, of course, Lowery goes all Villanova on us and drops the four-guard offense on the Valley.

It's a line-up that worked for Illinois State ... and while Freeman might be SIU's version of Oguchi, being a 6-6 combo guard-forward with inside and outside skills is totally different from being a 6-1 guard.

With Free in the fold, the Saluki backcourt gets an extra scoring punch as I expect the 13.8 PPG to hold or even increase if he can boost his 38 percent shooting from the 3-point line and 69 percent from the charity stripe.

No matter what he brings to the court in numbers, it will be matched by the maturity that was sorely missed when Bryan Mullins went down with that stress fracture injury.

Oh yeah, a scary sideote, Freeman has a stress fracture injury history. Just saying.

I believe if Tony Freeman can average 13 to 15 points per game, easing the scoring load off Kevin Dillard's shoulders, it could mean SIU improves its win total from 13 to 16 ... and I haven't even gotten to any of the other factors, yet.

Related: Saluki guard Freeman taking advantage of year off [Daily Egyptian]