12,134 kilometers.
That’s how far Patrick Freeman is travelling for the next step in his basketball journey.
The six-foot-seven scoring swing from Wellington, New Zealand signed on with the UNBC Timberwolves men’s basketball roster today.
“I chose the Timberwolves because I made a really good connection with Todd (Jordan) and I like the way he approaches the game. From what I have seen and heard, the Timberwolves play and train really hard, and I am really excited to be a part of that. I don’t think I could be any more excited. I can’t wait to get over there and start training with everyone.”
Freeman competed in the NZ Under 19 National Championships, where he was the tournament’s top scorer, averaging 29.4 points, to go along with 10.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.9 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game.
The Kiwi knows there will be adjustment to the North American style of play, but he points to the quality of his current competition as reason for confidence that he will make a smooth transition when he arrives at UNBC.
“Being a part of the New Zealand national league the last couple years has really helped my development. We have a lot of really good players in this league, and we have three overseas players per team. A lot of them come from the G League, so for the last few years, I have been competing against and training against some really good players.”
Canada West basketball teams are allowed to carry three international players on the active roster; UNBC coach Todd Jordan will welcome back Russian guard/forward Evgeny Baukin, to go along with American all-star transfer Josh Gillespie, and decided Freeman’s rare combination of size and skill was the ideal fit for the present and future of Timberwolves basketball.
“Patrick will be a great addition to our basketball program. He led the New Zealand U18 national tournament in scoring, and has a natural ability to score the basketball. At 6’7”, Patrick brings versatility with the ability to play inside as well as possessing a good perimeter skill package for someone his size. With all five years of eligibility in front of him, still has a lot of room to develop. I am extremely excited to get to work with him and help him take the next step in his game. Patrick rounds out a recruiting class that will add a lot of size to our program. “
Averaging 32.2 points and 16.9 rebounds per game for coach Rob Gold of Tawa College in the Wellington High School Premier League, Freeman was top scorer in the competition, and is twice a champion at that level.
Freeman will enroll in UNBC’s psychology program, with a long-term goal of pursuing physiotherapy. He will join his new Timberwolf teammates for training camp at the end of August.
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