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NC State Basketball Recruiting: Forward Lennard Freeman Commits To The Pack

By Steven Muma
Grant Halverson

Oak Hill Academy forward Lennard Freeman (6-7, 210) committed to NC State Monday over Pittsburgh and Villanova, among others. NC State has been pursuing Freeman for some desperately needed frontcourt depth, though the extent to which he'll be able to contribute as a freshman is tough to gauge. Forwards outside the top 20 or so of the rankings tend to have a tougher time adjusting to college basketball than their counterparts at the guard positions.

Freeman is a consensus three-star player and according to 247Sports, the No. 287 overall prospect in the 2013 class. He considered reclassifying to 2014--he only turned 17 this past December--but according to what little scouting information I've been able to find, he has a good frame despite his relatively young age. It sounds as well like we're getting a hard working, unselfish player, which never hurts:

He is a true team player and will do all the little things that need to be done in order for the team to be successful. He is an active rebounder and the majority of his points come off offensive rebounds. Freeman's statistics may not "jump" at you, but once you watch his effort and passion on the court, you will be impressed with his upside and potential. His high motor approach to the game is appealing and will become an important "glue" guy to any team at the high major level. First of all, he is a solid student, but his high character and work ethic will set the tone for others at the fortunate college program. According to Coach Steve Smith, "he brings it every single day to practice and always has something to prove." While many young power forwards like to float on the perimeter, Freeman knows and understands his role quite well. He loves to play on the interior and bang and bump with the best of them.

It will be interesting to see how he factors into the rotation. If nothing else, we can certainly use a few hustle minutes. So:

1: Tyler Lewis / Cat Barber
2: Dez Lee / Ralston Turner
3: T.J. Warren / Turner
4: Kyle Washington / Lennard Freeman / FREE JEVONI
5: BeeJay Anya / Jordan Vandenberg

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