Texas Border Business
RIO GRANDE VALLEY, Texas – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Men’s Basketball Head Coach Matt Figger announced on Thursday the signing of 6-7 forward Ahren Freeman, who has NCAA Division I experience with New Orleans, for the 2022-23 season.
Freeman comes to UTRGV from Indian Hills Community College with two seasons of eligibility remaining. This past season, Freeman averaged 7.3 points and 4.1 rebounds while shooting 61.8% from the field in 32 games (11 starts).
Freeman played two seasons at New Orleans from 2019-21. As a sophomore, Freeman averaged 5.7 points and 3.2 rebounds while shooting 58.8% from the field in 23 games (eight starts). He reached double-figures in scoring six times, including three-straight games from Feb. 27 through March 3. He scored a season-high 14 points against future Western Athletic Conference-opponent Incarnate Word on March 1 and grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds against Southeastern Louisiana on March 6.
As a freshman in 2019-20, Freeman averaged 7.3 points and 2.9 rebounds while shooting 58.8% from the field in 22 games (two starts). He reached double-figures in scoring seven times, including a career-high 19 points on 9-of-10 shooting with a season-high eight rebounds at Houston Baptist on Jan. 15.
Originally from Jacksonville Fla., Freeman attended Providence School of Jacksonville, where he led his team to the state championship game in 2016-17. A two-time all-state and all-conference selection, Freeman averaged 18 points, nine rebounds and four assists per game as a senior while earning Regional Player of the Year honors. He finished his career with over 1,000 points.
“Ahren is a strong, powerful, high-motor guy that brings a lot of energy and effort into the front court,” Figger said. “He played on one of the better junior college teams in the country and will bring a dynamic of being able to score inside and out. Ahren will be able to provide us a lot of strength and balance in the front court. He’s played three years of college basketball and gives us immediate Division I experience, having played at New Orleans. He has a lot of upside and potential.”
Freeman joins 6-11 forward John Shanu II, 6-3 guard Will Johnston, 6-5 guard Sherman Brashear, 6-7 guard/forward C.J. Jackson, 6-10 forward Dima Zdor, 6-0 guard Adante Holiman, and 6-7 forward Isaiah Barganier as part of the 2022-23 recruiting class.
