The Freeman Dynasty.

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End of Season Awards

National Champions:
Gonzaga Bulldogs, 34-5, 11-3

John R. Wooden Award:
Texas Southern G Jeremiah Freeman, Freshman | 31.4 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 2.6 SPG, 46 FG%, 36 3PT%, 82 FT%

Lou Henson Award:
Texas Southern G Jeremiah Freeman, Freshman | 31.4 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 2.6 SPG, 46 FG%, 36 3PT%, 82 FT%

Naismith College Coach of the Year Award:
Duke's Mike Krzyzewski, 31-5

Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Award:
N.C. State F Manny Bates, Junior | 13.8 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 1.0 SPG, 2.5 BPG

Pete Newell Big Man Award:
Texas Tech F Kevin Obanor, Senior | 21.7 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 1.2 SPG, 1.2 BPG

Wayman Tisdale Freshman of the Year Award:
Texas Southern G Jeremiah Freeman, Freshman | 31.4 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 2.6 SPG, 46 FG%, 36 3PT%, 82 FT%

First Team All-American:
G Jeremiah Freeman, Texas Southern (Fr)
G Buddy Boeheim, Syracuse (Sr)
F Tyrese Martin, Connecticut (Sr)
F Kevin Obanor, Texas Tech (Sr)
C Nate Watson, Providence (Sr)

First Team All-Freshman:
G Jeremiah Freeman, Texas Southern
G Patrick Baldwin Jr, Wisconsin-Milwaukee
F Bennedict Mathurin, Arizona
F Jabari Smith Jr, Auburn
C Nate Bittle, Oregon

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SWAC Awards

Conference Player of the Year:
Texas Southern G Jeremiah Freeman, Freshman | 31.4 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 2.6 SPG, 46 FG%, 36 3PT%, 82 FT%

Conference Freshman of the Year:
Texas Southern G Jeremiah Freeman, Freshman | 31.4 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 2.6 SPG, 46 FG%, 36 3PT%, 82 FT%

Conference College Coach of the Year:
Texas Southern's Johnny Jones, 27-9, SWAC Champions (regular season)

First Team All-Conference:
G Jeremiah Freeman, Texas Southern (Fr)
G Oddyst Walker, Alcorn State (Sr)
F Terence Lewis II, Jackson State (Jr)
F Jalen Johnson, Alabama A&M (Jr)
C JoJo Freeman, Texas Southern (Fr)

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As Freeman brothers declare for the draft, there were only winners in the experiment
Jack Coleman -- Houston Chronicle Sports Writer

Texas Southern's Jeremiah Freeman and JoJo Freeman III have both declared for the draft, as expected, following their lone season with the Tigers where they led a SWAC team to the NIT championship for the first time in history.

For at least a season, Texas Southern was the premier team in Houston, over the Cougars and when things got really going during the post-season, over the lowly Houston Rockets. Texas Southern was among the most searched terms according to Google Analytics during the Tigers blowout win over Michigan State.

The SWAC Championship saw a 20% raise in viewership from last year and Texas Southern as a program sold out every home game this season. Johnny Jones received an extension and will be in Houston for at least one more season.

Perhaps the biggest winner of all of this experiment of two brothers -- including a potential number one overall pick in Jeremiah -- going to a HBCU over a traditional Power 5 program were the brothers. Jeremiah was the consensus National Player of the Year while JoJo went from relatively unknown JUCO draft prospect to a potential first round pick.

During the discourse of legitimizing HBCUs as sports program, it's often presented as top players needing to make a sacrifice in order to attend HBCUs and help grow their brand for their next generation. The Freeman brothers didn't need to sacrifice anything, all they did was elevate a program and went toe to toe in the NIT Tournament against Power 5 teams and for the most part, took care of them with ease.

"They showed that it can be done," said one high school basketball coach, "I don't think that fear is going to be there anymore for other top prospects if they want to go down that route."

According to Draft Express' latest mock draft, Jeremiah is projected to go fifth in the draft to the Washington Wizards and they have JoJo projected to go San Antonio four picks later in the first round. If this holds true, they'd be the first brothers to go top ten in the same draft.

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Knicks get lucky bounce during the NBA Lottery, what will they do?
Brandon Jackson -- USA Today Sports Writer

After missing out on the likes of Zion Williamson despite decades of terrible basketball, the New York Knicks landed the number one overall pick in the draft following this week's NBA Lottery, beating the Rockets and Grizzlies (via the Lakers pick) to officially be on the clock for this summer's draft.

The Knicks will have plenty of options at number one, including Gonzaga center Chet Holmgren and Auburn's Jabari Smith Jr. It's unlikely that the Knicks go with a guard given their roster but if they do, there are a few good options in Purdue's Jaden Ivey and the nation's leading scorer, Jeremiah Freeman out of Texas Southern.

2022 NBA Draft Lottery Results
1. New York Knicks
2. Houston Rockets
3. Memphis Grizzlies (via LAL)
4. Oklahoma City Thunder
5. Orlando Magic
6. Detroit Pistons
7. Indiana Pacers
8. Minnesota Timberwolves
9. Washington Wizards
10. Dallas Mavericks
11. Charlotte Hornets
12. Portland Trail Blazers
13. San Antonio Spurs
14. Toronto Raptors
15. Brooklyn Nets (via PHI)
16. Denver Nuggets
17. Sacramento Kings
18. Oklahoma City Thunder (via PHX)
19. Indiana Pacers (via CLE)
20. Golden State Warriors
21. Chicago Bulls
22. Houston Rockets (via BKN)
23. Oklahoma City Thunder (via LAC)
24. Memphis Grizzlies
25. Miami Heat
26. Memphis Grizzlies (via UTA)
27. Portland Trail Blazers (via NO)
28. Atlanta Hawks
29. San Antonio Spurs (via BOS)
30. Milwaukee Bucks

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Freeman brothers steal the show at NBA combine
Jack Coleman -- Houston Chronicle Sports Writer

It's impossible not to fall in love with the athleticism of Jeremiah and JoJo Freeman as was the case for many draft experts this week as both excelled during the NBA Draft Combine.

JoJo, a seven-foot center, had the second highest vertical leap, behind only Kendall Brown's 44 inches as he came in at 43, tied with Kansas' Ochai Agbaji. Brown and Agbaji weighed in at 210 pounds while JoJo Freeman was at an impressive 255 pounds. Freeman also finished tie for fourth for most bench presses.

Jeremiah, the nation's leading scorer last season at Texas Southern, wasn't to be outdone by his big brother. The guard had the fastest lane agility time and finished top ten in the three quarter sprint. Among point guards, he had the highest vertical at 40 inches.

Jeremiah is viewed as a potential top ten pick while JoJo's draft stock is a bit more erratic with some viewing him as a lottery pick while other draft experts have him going in the bottom half of the first round.

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Houston Forever; Rockets trade back and then up, select Freeman brothers at 4th and 8th
The Houston Rockets have selected JoJo and Jeremiah Freeman out of Texas Southern with the 4th and 8th overall pick in the 2022 NBA DRaft

The Rockets traded the 2nd overall pick, Brooklyn's 2024 first and second round pick, Brooklyn's 2025 first round pick to the Oklahoma City in exchange for the 4th overall pick, the 18th overall pick, Detroit's lottery protected 2023 first round pick and point guard Ty Jerome.

Houston then flipped Jerome, the 18th overall pick and their own 22nd overall pick along with the Bucks 2023 first round pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves for the 8th overall pick.

The move keeps the Freeman brothers in Houston but it was widely criticized by NBA analysts as Houston passed up on the chance to pair Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. with a skilled big man in either Jabari Smith Jr, Jalen Duren or Paolo Banchero. Others hypothesized that the Rockets were more interested in selling tickets -- given the Freeman's popularity, particularly in the city -- rather than winning games.

2023 NBA Draft Selections
1. New York Knicks ‣ C Chet Holmgren, Gonzaga
2. Oklahoma City Thunder ‣ F Jabari Smith Jr,
3. Memphis Grizzlies (via LAL) ‣ G Jaden Ivey, Purdue
4. Houston Rockets ‣ G Jeremiah Freeman, Texas Southern
5. Orlando Magic ‣ G Adrian Griffin Jr, Duke
6. Detroit Pistons ‣ C Jalen Duren, Memphis
7. Indiana Pacers ‣ F Paolo Banchero, Duke
8. Houston Rockets ‣ C JoJo Freeman III, Texas Southern
9. Washington Wizards ‣ G TyTy Washington, Kentucky
10. Dallas Mavericks ‣ F Keegan Murray, Iowa
11. Charlotte Hornets ‣ F Tari Eason, LSU
12. Portland Trail Blazers ‣ G Bennedict Mathurin, Arizona
13. San Antonio Spurs ‣ G Malaki Branham, Ohio State
14. Toronto Raptors ‣ G Johnny Davis, Wisconsin
15. Brooklyn Nets (via PHI) ‣ F Jeremy Sochan, Baylor
16. Denver Nuggets ‣ G Shaedon Sharpe, Kentucky
17. Sacramento Kings ‣ F Nikola Jovic, Serbia
18. Minnesota Timberwolves (via PHX) ‣ G Blake Wesley, Notre Dame
19. Indiana Pacers (via CLE) ‣ G Ochai Agbaji, Kansas
20. Golden State Warriors ‣ G Dyson Daniels, Australia
21. Chicago Bulls ‣ C John Butler, Florida State
22. Minnesota Timberwolves ‣ G Marjon Beauchamp, High School
23. Oklahoma City Thunder (via LAC) ‣ C Walker Kessler, Auburn
24. Memphis Grizzlies ‣ C Mark Williams, Duke
25. Miami Heat ‣ F Adama Sanogo, Connecticut
26. Memphis Grizzlies (via UTA) ‣ F Patrick Baldwin Jr, Wisconsin
27. Portland Trail Blazers (via NO) ‣ F Kendall Brown, Baylor
28. Atlanta Hawks ‣ F Julian Strawther, Gonzaga
29. San Antonio Spurs (via BOS) ‣ F Caleb Houstan, Michigan
30. Milwaukee Bucks ‣ G Harrison Ingram, Stanford

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LaVine headed to San Antonio while other stars stay put
The last time San Antonio spent big in free agency, they thought they were adding the final piece in LaMarcus Aldridge to make another run at an NBA championship.

It never materialized but they've stepped their foot in the big pool that is free agency once more, landing Zach Lavine on a four year, $144 million deal to take him away from Chicago.

LaVine was one of few big signings this off-season with most of the league's top free agents -- Kyrie Irving, James Harden and Bradley Beal -- opting to return to their respective teams, all signing four year, max contract extensions to stay put.

Notable Free Agency Signings
G Kyrie Irving, Brooklyn Nets (4yr/$170m)
G James Harden, Philadelphia 76ers (4yr/$171m)
G Zach LaVine, San Antonio Spurs (4yr/$144m)
G Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards (4yr/$161m)
C DeAndre Ayton, Phoenix Suns (5yr/$160m)
F T.J. Warren, Indiana Pacers (4yr/$82m)

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'Keep that same energy'; Freeman's ready to prove doubters wrong...again
Jack Coleman -- Houston Chronicle Sports Writer

Jeremiah and Joseph Freeman III are used to making unpopular decision. A little over a year ago, they shocked the college basketball world when the top ranked recruit in the country -- Jeremiah -- and one of the top ranked JUCO prospects in the country -- Joseph or JoJo -- committed to Texas Southern.

This time around, it was others that were making that unpopular decision as Houston traded out of the number two overall pick in order to have two top ten picks, which they used to keep the Freeman brothers teammates and in the city of Houston.

"To play high school, college and now in the NBA, all in my city, it's pretty special. It's crazy," said a visibly emotional JoJo during the press conference following the draft, "To play with my brother, it's a blessing. The only thing that's going to be better is shutting everybody up and when we do, y'all better keep that same energy."

The move was widely criticize by NBA analyst who felt that while Jeremiah was deserving of a top five pick, his skills might not mesh well in a crowded back court of Jalen Green, Kevin Porter Jr., Josh Christopher along with veterans John Wall and Dennis Schroeder.

When it came to JoJo, some viewed him as a top ten pick while many others didn't on top of Houston spending first round picks in past drafts on Usman Garuba and Alperen Sengun. There's also Christian Wood, the team's best player, already at the position.

Houston will begin to figure out their potential backcourt problem come summer league where the vast majority of a young roster will be present while Freeman III will try to prove his doubters wrong once more.

[Agent]

Oh shit I didn't even know this was a myplayer story until now