IOWA CITY – The Gophers’ Cam Christie and Iowa’s Owen Freeman, who battled as high school stars in Illinois, are now vying for Big Ten freshman of the year.
Owen Freeman, Iowa get the best of Cam Christie, Gophers
Owen Freeman and Cam Christie, emerging as the two best freshmen in the Big Ten this season, have been dueling on the court since their high school days in Illinois.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
February 12, 2024 at 1:44AM
The 6-11 Freeman, from Moline, Ill., has the most Big Ten top freshman weekly honors this season with seven. Christie, a 6-6 guard from Arlington Heights, Ill., is the reigning Big Ten freshman of the week and has four consecutive double-figure scoring games.
“Christie’s becoming one of the elite freshmen in the league,” Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said before the Hawkeyes’ 90-85 comeback victory over the Gophers on Sunday. “I’ve been impressed with him.”
Freeman had 17 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks Sunday. Christie was solid, with 10 of his 15 points in the second half, including a big dunk. It was a game in which the Big Ten’s top two freshmen made their mark.
“He’s a great player,” Christie said of Freeman. “It’s nice to see another guy from Illinois succeeding at a high level. It’s always fun to go up against him.”
After scoring 19 points in a victory over Michigan State on Tuesday, Christie was the top scorer among Big Ten freshmen at 11.1 points per game. He averaged 17 points and 6.7 rebounds in three consecutive Gophers victories.
Entering Sunday, Freeman averaged 10.6 points and led all Big Ten freshmen in rebounds (137), blocks (37) and steals (25). His team had beaten Christie’s team the past two times they played, including Moline’s blowout against Rolling Meadows in high school last year with Gophers coach Ben Johnson in attendance.
In their first college meeting this season, Freeman had 12 points and eight rebounds before fouling out in Iowa’s 86-77 win Jan. 15 at Minnesota. Christie scored 12 points in the loss.
Even after chipping his tooth midway through Sunday’s game, Freeman made his presence felt defensively. He blocked a three-point attempt by Christie with the Hawkeyes ahead 86-82 and 50 seconds left.
“Obviously, they were missing a key factor in their offense,” Freeman said about forward Dawson Garcia’s second-half injury. “They were different. But we just had the same mindset. Keep attacking.”
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Carrington excels
Entering Sunday’s game against Iowa, Gophers sophomore Braeden Carrington was shooting 2-for-18 from three-point range in his previous seven games.
Carrington broke out of his slump with 11 of his season-high 18 points in the first half, including 3-for-4 shooting from long distance. The Gophers got 28 points off the bench Sunday, including 10 from Parker Fox.
A former Park Center star, Carrington hadn’t scored in double figures since he had 13 points in a Dec. 6 win vs. Nebraska, which was just before he took a leave of absence to deal with his mental health.
“[Johnson] was always telling me to get my feet set and shoot with confidence,” Carrington said. “I know I’m a shooter at heart.”
The Gophers, sparked offensively by quarterback Max Brosmer and the return of tailback Darius Taylor from a leg injury, held Rhode Island to only 135 total yards.
