NBA Draft Report: Enrique Freeman's incredible story keeps getting better

CHICAGO – In the fall of 2019, Akron coach John Groce organized an open tryout for undergraduates. Groce has held a tryout wherever he has coached, and over time the students pretty much look and play the same. On this day, however, one of the players looked and played a little bit different. “I get in my seat with my cup of coffee, and here comes this guy that’s 6-7 and long, moving really well,” Groce said. “We did a character check, an academic check, and he was exceptional with both. We said, let’s at least keep him as a scout team guy at minimum.”

Groce could have scarcely imagined that five-and-a-half years later he would be watching that same player compete for a chance to get drafted by the NBA. But there he was on Wednesday, sitting in the stands at Wintrust Arena as Enrique Freeman tried once again to make a lasting impression. The 6-7 205-pound forward earned his spot at the combine the hardest way possible. He started in April at the Portsmouth