Dec. 9, 2004
A facial, swat, stuff, rejection, having your lunch handed to you. Whatever you want to call it, having someone send your shot back into your lap can be one of the most intimidating actions in basketball.
The blocked shot is something that junior Jessica Freeman, a post on the Utah State women's basketball team, has had a knack for ever since she began playing the sport.
"I guess there have always been expectations put on me to block a lot of shots because it was something I always did in high school," the 6-2 Freeman said. "But more than that it is just really fun."
If blocking shots is fun, then Freeman has had more than her fair share of excitement. Her senior season at Pine View High School in St. George, Utah, Freeman broke both the Utah girls high school single-season (145) and career blocked shots records (375).
And whether she likes it or not, she is poised to shatter blocked-shot records at Utah State before her career is over. With a team-high 11 blocks this season, Freeman has tallied 42 career blocks and now sits in sixth place on USU's career blocked shots list.
"Jessica has uncanny body control that allows her to get in the right position to block shots," said assistant coach Bradley Dance. "Many great shot blockers get into foul trouble... not Jess. She is able to keep her body away from the defender, while at the same time getting a hand up."
The fact that Freeman blocks a lot of shots is one thing, but coach Dance says that the way she has blocked a few shots this year is what has really impressed him.
"Jess has had about three blocks this season that were more reminiscent of something you would see in a volleyball match," explained Dance. "She has literally gone up with two hands and slammed the ball back at the defender."
"I think I have just worked on my timing throughout the years with playing volleyball alongside basketball," Freeman said.
Many of the great shot blockers throughout history have gotten into foul trouble, which proves counterproductive to their teams' successes, but Freeman fouled out just twice last season and has yet to foul out through five games this season.
Whether its timing, body control, or just luck, Freeman isn't quite sure, but as is usual with her, she is always deflecting the praise to someone else.
"I should probably just give the credit to my parents for the long arms I inherited from them," she said.
Freeman is not just a one dimensional shot blocker. Sure, she is second in the Big West, averaging 2.20 blocks per game, but she also has scored in double-figures in three of the Aggies' five games, including a career-high 13 points at Northern Colorado on Dec. 2. She is also second on the team in rebounding with a 6.2 average, as she has pulled down six or more rebounds in four straight games.
"Jess is a very efficient offensive player," Dance said. "She will rarely take a bad shot, which shows in her having one of the higher field-goal percentages (47.1 percent) on the team. She is a great athlete that goes to the basket harder than a lot of players I have seen."
Head coach Raegan Pebley has also noticed a more determined and focused Freeman this year, which Freeman accredits to her now knowing what level of a player she needs to be to play for a Division-I program.
"A lot of it comes down to knowing what you need to do in the program," Freeman explained. "Last year, in my first year playing, I wasn't sure what to expect. Over the summer, I knew what level I needed to be at to compete and that helped me focus on getting faster and stronger. As you get older you know your time is almost up and you really know you have to give everything because you know you won't be doing it that much longer."
Freeman is a co-captain with Ali Aird this season and is just one of two players, Brittany Tressler being the other, that was in the first group of four players recruited by coach Pebley the first year the program was reinstated after a 16-year hiatus. Freeman seemed to get a little nostalgic when talking about the last three years.
"I wouldn't have thought that I would be one of two players left from that original group," Freeman stated. "I still keep in contact with all those girls and I love them and everything. I think things just happen and this team that we have now is supposed to be here. Things are working perfectly with the group we have now and I wouldn't trade anyone on our team for anyone else. It is just what is meant to be right now."
With a 3-2 start this season, Utah State's best start since going a similar 3-2 to open the 1984-85 season, it seems that Freeman has hit the nail on the head when saying that "this team is supposed to be here at this time."
Utah State's new "triangle offense" seems to have given the team a jump start over last year as the team is ranked second in the conference in scoring offense (70.2 ppg), third in scoring margin (+3.8), first in three-point field-goal percentage (.365), and first in assist to turnover ratio (0.99).
"The new triangle offense is nice because it gives us the opportunity to really look at the options," Freeman explained. "There are a lot of options that are open from it and if you have good spacing you can get a good look at the basket. You can run the same play over and over and you will always get something out of it."
Being a student-athlete doesn't leave you with a whole lot of time for yourself, but Freeman said that she has "grown up with a couple of loves in my life and one is obviously sports especially basketball and the other one has always been art."
Art, she said, gives her balance in her life as she is currently pursuing a degree in art education.
"Sports are really high stress and can be fun," Freeman stated. "Art is just something you can go and do and be on your own and it is very relaxing and it's a way you can express yourself. It is just kind of a different therapy. Basketball you can really relieve stress and have that challenge, but it is nice to have that contrast in your life."
And whether it's art or swatting shots, Freeman is sure to excel both on and off the court.
