University of Akron graduate Enrique Freeman and his family hosted a party Thursday unlike any other gathering they had held before.
Freeman's NBA Draft party included family, friends, teammates and coaches at the Crowne Plaza Cleveland Hotel at Playhouse Square.
The best moment of the party arrived with the announcement of the 50th pick when the Indiana Pacers selected Freeman, a 6-foot-7¼ inch forward who weighs 212 pounds and possesses a 7-2 wingspan.
Freeman was seated between his mother, Tania, and his girlfriend, Anjali Silverheels, when he heard his name being announced by NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer Mark Tatum.
"We found out all at the same time on TV," said Ryan Schneider, Freeman's high school coach during his senior year at St. Martin de Porres. "Enrique did not receive a call from the Indiana Pacers before the pick was announced on TV."
Freeman, 23, was 6-foot-3 when he graduated from St. Martin de Porres in Cleveland in 2018. He enrolled at the University of Akron as a student with an academic scholarship in 2018 and joined the Zips men's basketball team as a walk-on after an open tryout at Rhodes Arena in 2019.
There were no thoughts of Freeman being a second round pick in an NBA Draft back then.
Freeman worked his way into an athletic scholarship and several awards as the top player on Akron's Mid-American Conference Tournament championship teams in 2022 and 2024.
"It is unreal the fact that we were there, the fact that the close people in his life were there," Schneider said. "He did a toast afterwords thanking everybody that was there. The fact that this is happening is unreal.
"There were two tables behind him. One was Akron Zips with the colors of the Zips. The other was St. Martin de Porres with the colors of St. Martin. There was a picture of him at Akron with some stats, and a St. Martin logo with a picture of him when he was in ninth grade. He looks like a baby. It's so funny with the picture. It's so unbelievable that this was happening from where he was when he was 15 and coming to St. Martin to how much he has developed. It's crazy. It's absolutely crazy."
Schneider attended Freeman's draft party with his wife, Nancy, and their children, Kaeden and Ryann.
Akron coach John Groce was at the draft party with his wife, Allison, and their children, Conner, Camden and Cate.
"This is obviously an amazing story," Groce said. "Obviously, this is a reflection of the type of kid that Enrique is, his character and his work ethic. He has put a lot of time into this. This is more of a celebration than anything. We were all up in Cleveland with his family, coaching staff and his teammates that he played with, so it was a real small get together, but the place exploded when the pick came up. I was really happy for him, his mom and his entire family."
Freeman has five sisters — Isis, Nicole, Nautica, Beautiful and Tatiana — and one brother, Steven.
Freeman's path to the Pacers includes being named the MAC Tournament MVP in 2022 and 2024, the MAC Player of the Year in 2024 and earning Associated Press All-America Honorable Mention in 2024. He also finished his career as a two-time All-MAC first team selection and a four-time All-MAC Defensive team honoree (MAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2022).
Groce thinks the Pacers are a great fit for Freeman, who earned a bachelor's degree and a master's degree at Akron.
"Rick Carlisle does a tremendous job," Groce said. "I have always been a fan. I think he is very gifted as a coach. I am excited that 'Rique gets to play for him. Jim Boylen is on his staff, and I have known him for a long time. He is a tremendous person and coach. I know enough to know that 'Rique is going to be challenged and have a chance to grow and develop, which is awesome.
"I love their style of play. I love the way they play. I watch them a ton. I think they play really fast with a lot of freedom and a lot of conceptual offense. They are relatively young, so I think they are one of those teams that has got a lot of momentum right now.
"And then obviously the proximity. You are five hours basically, roughly from here, which is great for his family. They will get a chance to share in this and see him a little bit more than if he was further away.
"... This is a great opportunity. Obviously, they have been really good. They made it to the Eastern Conference finals this year. I know he will really be challenged, which is what he wants. He wants to get better. That has always been his mindset: 'How do I improve? How do I get better?' I know he will tackle the challenge with the right mindset."
Freeman averaged 18.6 points, 12.9 rebounds, 1.7 blocks and 1.6 assists in 35 games as a senior. The 12.9 rebounds were No. 1 among all players in Division I. Freeman tied the NCAA single-season record for double-doubles with 31, joining North Carolina's Armando Bacot (2022) and Navy's David Robinson (1986) as the only players to achieve the feat.
Freeman finished his Akron career first in rebounds (1,405), second in blocks (186) and third in points (1,843) in 132 games. He was a finalist for the Karl Malone Award, the Oscar Robertson Award and the Lou Henson Award this year. His career rebound total ranks 38th all-time in NCAA Division I, and he's No. 8 among players who played in the last 30 years.
"We were at the Reese's all-star game, the Portsmouth Invitational, the NBA G-League Elite Camp, the NBA Draft Combine and then [Thursday night]," Groce said. "Enrique has taken all of us on a heck of a ride. I hope Zips Nation appreciates him. He has been great for the city of Akron, great for the University of Akron and great for the athletic department. The whole time, he has done it with class. The way he treats people is impressive. He has several exemplary qualities, but the one that stands out to me the most is his humility."
Indiana Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan says Akron graduate Enrique Freeman has a 'special trait'
Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan met with reporters in Indianapolis on Thursday and praised Freeman for having "a special trait."
"Enrique is a guy who is really quite a unique story," Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan said. "He's a guy who's earned everything he's gotten. From coming into college to working his way up to where he got to as a college player to going to the Portsmouth Invitational and earning his way up to the G-League Invite Elite Camp to get invited up to the combine. He's just a self-made player. A lot of his qualities match up with who we are. Players in the past that have had his qualities have had success with us.
"He's obviously a terrific rebounder. He's got great length. Plays with an unbelievable motor and tenacity, and just goes and gets the ball. Obviously, rebounding was a weakness for our team last year. Whether you can get a guy picked at 50 to help that you never know, but it was a guy who had a special trait who we wanted to take a chance on in the second round."
Michael Beaven can be reached at mbeaven@thebeaconjournal and is on Twitter at @MBeavenABJ.
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