The Freemantle Injury A Huge Blow For Xavier

Freemantle had 18 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and three steals as Xavier fell to Cincinnati 68-65. Xavier said that Freemantle is out indefinitely with a lower-body injury. Listening to Miller speak to the media after Wednesday’s loss to UConn, it seems like indefinitely is a nice way of sugarcoating what could be another season-ending injury for the Xavier star. Xavier was picked third in the Big East preseason poll. That ranking was with the assumption that a healthy Freemantle would be leading the Musketeers.

The Freemantle Injury A Huge Blow For Xavier

Xavier Loses Its Best Player With the Freemantle Injury

The 6-foot-9 Freemantle put in the work in the offseason after sitting out all of the 2023-24 season. He scored in double figures in all 11 games that he played. Freemantle had three double-doubles this season. He averaged a team-high 7.7 rebounds per game this season. His average of 16.9 points per game also led the time at the time of his injury. Ryan Conwell took over the team lead in scoring with a big game against UConn. 

“I didn’t know what to say to him and quite frankly, I don’t know if he knew what to say to me,” Miller told the media after Wednesday’s loss. “It is heartbreaking, it is devastating. You always say things can be worse but this kid has done things that I have never seen before in this sport, overcoming multiple season-ending injuries, the surgeries. This past [offseason] he really [got] himself in world-class shape. He has 4% body fat, he is our hardest worker. Obviously, he has been our best player. 

Freemantle played his best against the elite competition for Xavier. His clutch play will be difficult to replace.

Freemantle Stayed Through The Adversity

In the transfer portal era, it is not usual for players to change schools two and sometimes even three times. However, even as the Freemantle injury history kept growing, he never left.

Freemantle was limited to 21 games during the 2020-21 season and 22 games in the 2022-23 season. The injury bug continued to follow Freemantle throughout his college career.

Freemantle played in 116 games in his five seasons at Xavier with 89 starts. His loyalty is one of the attributes that Miller appreciates the most when he reflects on his time coaching the star forward.

“This is his final year, he never entered the transfer portal, he stayed with Xavier, graduated and is in grad school,” Miller said. “He loves the Big East, loves college basketball. 

“You said that this is going to be the year that he is going to be healthy from start to finish and obviously this happens.”

What’s Next For Xavier After the Freemantle Injury?

Xavier had a spirited effort in the first game this season without Freemantle. Xavier is one of the best three-point shooting teams in the Big East. That was evident as the Musketeers made seven consecutive three-pointers at one point. Xavier connected on 8 of 10 shots from three-point range in the second half. However, Xavier missed four of its five three-pointers in overtime.

Ryan Conwell led the Musketeers with 23 points. Dante Maddox Jr. had 22 points, with 15 of them coming on five 3-pointers in the 94-89 loss.

More of that will be needed moving forward.

“It affects us in a big way but what you are obviously the most concerned about and what I think the most about it just him,” Miller said. “It can really take an athlete into a dark place and to go through it four times. That is a completely different situation. We are surrounding him with a lot of camaraderie and on his end, he is probably like, thank you but he’s got to fight the good fight.”