Image provided by: Clackamas Community College; Oregon City, OR
About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 23, 2005)
^^LACKAMASPfifif February 23, 2005 «Q basketball legacy that waits to be fulfilled basketball isn’tjust a game of skill to this Cougar, it’s life . Michael McCormack I Sports Co-Editor Jeff Sorensen Clackamas Print an Freeman shows off his 6’9” frame, which has bven to be a key asset for Clackamas this season [they approach the NWAACC post-season By the time Brian Freeman picked up the game of bas ketball, he had set a goal for himself that for some is just a dream. “It’s always been my goal to play Division One hoops,” Freeman said. In order for one to play at such a high level, determination and motivation has to be set at a young age, and for Freeman that motivation came from his father, who in his younger days starred for the Oregon State Beavers in hoops. Freeman was born in Corvallis and at two years old his family made the short move over to Albany, Oregon. In Albany, he learned the game he would grow to love from his dad, a man that he considers his hero. In the state of Oregon, kids normally don’t start playing competitive basketball until they are in the second or third grade, but for Freeman, he couldn’t wait to lace up the shoes and hit the hardwood. “Albany is not a very excit ing town, so I had to make my own fun through basketball,” Freeman said. So as a kindergartner his parents signed him up to play with the local second grade team, and ever since, he has not allowed his aspirations of playing at the highest collegiate level be derailed. As Freeman got older he wasn’t growing as fast as every one had expected, but his lack of size didn’t discourage him to become all that he could be on the ball courts of Albany. As a freshman at West Albany High School, Freeman’s dreams of playing hoops hit a crossroad, in the sense that he was told by coaches he was too short to play. He stood at a modest 5 feet 10 inches, but his short stature didn’t discourage him from playing the game he loved. “I was just a little guy, and I wasn’t very good, but they kept me because they thought I would grow because my dad was tall,” Freeman said. His stick-to-itiveness paid off, and by the time Freeman entered his sophomore year he had shot up to 6 feet 5 inch es and was swinging between the junior varsity and varsity teams. As a junior he became a full-fledged starter for the varsity squad and by his senior year he had became an All League performer in the Valley Conference. After his senior year Freeman had to make a choice Of where to continue his playing days. The University of Wyoming showed interest in Freeman, but when they didn’t offer any thing to him, he decided to head northbound and play for Clif Wegner and the Clackamas Cougars. During the summer between his junior and senior years of high school, Freeman played for Wegner’s exclusive Ice team and saw that Wegner was a winner. “I wanted to come to a place to win, and I knew that Wegner was a winning coach,” Freeman said. “The decision seemed easy enough.” When Freeman showed up here on campus he wasn’t quite sure who his teammates would be, but when he did see them he realized that they were going to be pretty good. Freeman has yet to declare a major for his college years, but in the meantime he is content with taking classes that he is curious about. “I find that psychology is really interesting,” Freeman said. “It probably won’t be my major, but I think it is impor tant to understand later on in my life.” In a similar way Freeman’s basketball future is as uncer tain as his educational goals, but if the D-l offers start com ing in, he will have no other choice than to take them; if not, he is content on finishing his two-year college career as a Cougar. Basketball runs through Freeman’s veins, stemming from his father, who after his OSU playing days played a sea son in the NBA, but Freeman’s high morals come from both parents. His mom and dad set stan dards of life for him to follow, which in turn built an everlast ing respect for one another; to this day his parents still attend every game he participates in. “I have a great relationship with my parents,” Freeman said. “When I get frustrated with life I always turn to my dad first; he is my go to guy.” Albeit Freeman is very hard on himself, saying that he feels he has underachieved if he doesn’t make a Division One program, he needs to know that he is right at home here in Oregon City as he helps the Clackamas Cougars advance to the NWAACC playoffs. en hit playoffs; ready to roar of team depth and early foul trouble from Cougar post Brian Freeman, Ks Co-Editor the Cougars looked dead in the water. ■Jespite a loss to conference rival To start the second half Clackamas ^Mood C'C last Wednesday, the came out strong and went on an 8-0 men clinched third place run in a 1:05 span to cut the Saints’ ■ Southern Division of the lead to three, but the Saints were too KACC to guarantee them a spot strong and once Freeman had picked up his fourth foul with 15 minutes bis year’s tournament. The Mt. Hood contest was remaining, Mt Hood had built its ■bed by the Clackamas players lead back to 11. he game of the season for them. ‘We don’t have many options I suiting up eight players due to on the bench, so we can’t afford to VUd injuries, 111J LU IVO, get into foul trouble; ■ous Mougars came Brian never was able I of the locker ---------- to get into a groove,” Wegner said. in the first half aWe were Si a determined Clackamas shot and |on their faces. a dismal 40 percent for the game, while ■rough the the the Saints stayed it 10 minutes of were hot throughout the ly, Clackamas k [with the no. game, shooting a Iced Saints by blazing 56 percent just from the field, and in of great perim- didn fall. ” Mshooting and the end, the Cougars had lost their third ing on pure ^Kline. straight game 101- Clif Wegner ■hiring a five- 79. Men's basketball Bute span, the On Saturday, ■iigars hit five the Cougars head Head Coach ■secuiive three- ed south to face Mnter. including the Umpqua CC ■■straight points Timbermen in »■phomore Wes Roseburg. The game Jen, to take a 28-24 lead at the was tight all the way through, but, in ■45 mark, but that lead disintegrat the end, Clackamas was able to es as Mt. Hood started to make a prevail and come away with a 61-57 ^Hclose out the first half. victory. ^■e didn’t get back on defense; I Freeman was able to recover from W guys just jogging back, and that his forgettable night on Wednesday, ^jay to win a basketball game,” scoring 16 points, as well as pulling ^Koach Clif Wegner said. down 14 rebounds, dishing out five ■tk half. Mt.Hood had built a assists and leading the team with Hi 11 points, and with the lack four steals. Jensen topped all scorers chael McCormack with 20 points. ‘We were open and the shots we took were good shots; they just didn’t fell,” Wegner said. Shooting only 38 percent from the floor, the Cougars found other ways to produce on fest breaks. Clackamas was able to force the Timbermen into 14 turnovers, which . open shots we took good shots; they led to 15 Clackamas points, while handing over only 10 turnovers of their own. The Cougars will travel to Portland Community College tonight to close out their regular season. In the first match-up between these two teams, Clackamas blew away PCC with an impressive 96-65 victory. The NWAACC playoffs start next Thursday, March 3, in Kennewick, Wash. The Cougars will face the no. 2 seed from the Western Division, which as of today is Pierce College. Tonight’s game with Portland CC is slated for a 7:30 p.m. start time on the PCC-Sylvania campus. ill!® 7 1477 SE 1st Aveste 104 I 19735 Hwy 213 . Subject to change without notice. See Sun West fbdtfyfeetails iF'
