It's been a frustrating season so far for Xavier's Zach Freemantle. It got off to a rough start with a foot injury that required surgery and sidelined the junior forward from Teaneck, New Jersey, for nearly four months, including the first six games of the season.
Since returning he's struggled to find a rhythm offensively and he's had an even harder time at the other end of the floor.
But during Saturday's win over Creighton, Freemantle played his best game of the season against a quality opponent.
It wasn't perfect. He missed some shots (6-for-16) around the rim that he's accustomed to making, but he was on the floor for 33 minutes and it was a step in the right direction.
Freemantle's defense was the most noticeable change from his recent performances. He was able to guard 7-foot-1 center Ryan Kalkbrenner and he was able to switch on ball screens and keep Creighton's guards in front of him. He also timed a Creighton pass perfectly on the perimeter, intercepted it and took it the distance for a dunk at the other end.
Three big things: Second-half surge lifts No. 17 Xavier over Creighton, stars step up
Xavier head coach Travis Steele said he's been talking with Freemantle about his effort and he was pleased with Freemantle's response.
"You try to put yourself in Zach's shoes. Zach's an all-league level player," said Steele. "We all know that. And listen, he missed – and people probably can't appreciate it – but when you don't do anything (in) August, September, October, November, you get thrown right back into just the middle of the fray right away and it is really difficult.
"We got a really good team. We have other really good players. How's he going to fit in role-wise? Then we're playing him at a different position."
After Wednesday's loss to Villanova, a game in which Freemantle didn't play the final six and a half minutes, Steele told Freemantle he wants him to focus on two things.
More:Analysis: Missed opportunities plagued Xavier against Villanova
"It's just your attitude and your effort," said Steele. "If you have a great attitude, you're a great teammate and you give max effort.
"Get back to just flying around, sprinting the floor, hustling on the glass. And he did that."
Freemantle finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds against Creighton. His effort, defensively and rebounding, was a drastic improvement.
"Zach was a different Zach tonight and that's exactly what we've been accustomed to over the years," said Steele. "That's that all-league level Zach and he wasn't perfect. He missed some easy shots tonight, but he was terrific."
Because of how he was playing, Xavier was able to play a bigger lineup with Freemantle and Jack Nunge together for a large portion of the second half. That lineup changed the game and it allowed Xavier to take control and beat the Bluejays with a dominant second-half performance.
"I thought having him and Jack out there on the floor gave us great size," said Steele. "We rebounded better and then we were able to kind of still get the matchups that we wanted on the offensive end while not getting exposed on the defensive end."
Xavier's a different team when Freemantle's operating at full throttle. Saturday's second half was a clear example of that. Creighton had to worry about everyone who was on the floor for Xavier. The Musketeers backed it up defensively, too.
Getting Freemantle to play like that consistently will unlock Xavier's true potential.
The Musketeers are scheduled to next play Wednesday at DePaul.
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