by MILWAUKEE (AP) — Xavier’s season appears to be in much better shape now that oft-injured sixth-year star Zach Freemantle is feeling better.
Freemantle sat out the entire 2023/24 season with a foot injury as Xavier won 16-18 for its first losing season since 1995/96. He missed Xavier’s first three Big East games this season with a knee problem as the Musketeers staggered to a 1-4 start in conference play.
Now they have won three in a row, with Freemantle playing an important role.
“I had to miss three games, and obviously that hurt the soul a little bit,” Freemantle said after Xavier on Saturday won 59-57 at No. 7 Marquette. “I just took the time to refocus and get my act together so I could come back and be the best I could be.”
Freemantle, who returned to action on Jan. 3, recorded his 25th career double-double on Saturday, collecting 14 points and 10 rebounds to lead Xavier in both categories. He is averaging 16.8 points and 7.8 rebounds this season, but his contributions go beyond those numbers.
“I give him a lot of credit because it’s not easy to get another injury and be out and then come back and find your rhythm, but he’s done that in a short period of time,” Marquette coach Shaka Smart said . “He did that very quickly. The best way I can say it is that they look like a completely different team in terms of confidence with him on the floor than without him.”
The 6-foot-4 Freemantle showed that confidence from the start of the game as Xavier (12-7, 4-4 Big East) handed Marquette (15-3, 6-1) just its fourth home loss in the past three seasons. .
Freemantle had 10 points at half time as Xavier never trailed all day. The Musketeers, who had done that lost 72-70 at home against Marquette without Freemantle on Dec. 21, leading by as many as 19 points in the rematch before weathering the Golden Eagles’ frenetic comeback.
“I just wanted to give everyone confidence and let them know we’re here to win,” Freemantle said. “We’re not here just to see what happens.”
Freemantle’s confidence comes from experience in dealing with adversity.
He arrived at Xavier in 2019 and averaged 16.1 points and 8.9 rebounds in 2020-21, earning Big East second-team honors from the league’s coaches. But he missed the last 15 games of the 2022/23 season due to an injured left foot that required surgery. Later in 2023, he underwent further foot surgery, which forced him to miss the entirety of last season.
Freemantle worked his way back and returned to Xavier this year, becoming the rare sixth-year player to spend his entire career at one school. He insists he was not worried about his long-term future when he was injured again this season. He noted that this injury was to his knee and was not a recurrence of his foot problems.
Now he’s back and makes Xavier rise again.
“We are a better team with Zach than without him,” Xavier coach Sean Miller said. “You saw it, especially in the first half. He gives us that scoring punch in and around the rim. He gives us experience. I thought he did a great job tonight doing his job on defense: rebounding, scoring, making plays.
“It’s a big boost for us to get him back. The most important thing is that I hope he can stay with us until the end.”
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