Thompson says Hoyas guard is focusing on his all-around game
It took him just twelve games into his freshman season to find his way into Georgetown’s starting lineup. But Austin Freeman is still finding his way as a Hoya, learning to be a patient scorer and a more tenacious defender and rebounder.
The sophomore led Georgetown in scoring in two out of three games at the Old Spice Classic in Orlando, including a hardly-surprising 18 points against Maryland for the Mitchellville native. But what was more remarkable was that Freeman committed just a single turnover against the Terrapins after a team-high six against pressure-heavy Tennessee.
“I don’t think Austin’s been erratic,” said Hoyas head coach John Thompson III. “I think the thing that’s important for Free is that he’s going to score. But what we need from him is to focus on and to continue to focus on the other parts of the game.”
Freeman’s play often speaks louder than he does, which explains why it is so important to Thompson that he becomes a better rebounder and defender.
“I just want to be aggressive,” said Freeman, who shoots better than 50 percent from the field and is second on the Hoyas (4-1) with 14.2 points per game. “If things drop for me, they drop. If it’s not dropping, I just want to find other things I can do to make my team win.”
The Eagles (4-3) have lost two straight, but that isn’t the reason Thompson is taking them seriously. After all, they also lost to the Volunteers in last year’s NCAA Tournament.
“All bets are off,” said Thompson. “Everything goes out the window. You forget about the scouting reports, about what you’ve seen because of the familiarity they have with us, we have with them.”
Up next » American at No. 20 Georgetown
Where » Verizon Center
When » Saturday, 1
TV » MASN
Radio » 570 AM
