Wish They All Could Be California Trips
11/23/2010 12:00:00 AM | MEN'S BASKETBALL
Nov. 23, 2010
CHICAGO - There was no mistaking the smile on his face and the enthusiasm in his voice as Tony Freeland talked about going back home.
"What are the best things about California?" Freeland said. "It's the people, the location, the pretty beaches, awesome food. And it has the best weather."
Freeland and fellow Californian Krys Faber are looking to enhance DePaul's chances at the 76 Classic Thursday in the Anaheim (Calif.) Convention Center.
The Blue Demons open up at 3:30 p.m. on Thanksgiving with a showdown against 2010 NCAA tournament qualifier Oklahoma State. The game can be seen on ESPN2.
"I'm real excited that I get to see my family and friends," said Freeland, a 6-foot, 6-inch sophomore from Los Angeles who is averaging 13 points and five rebounds for DePaul (1-1). "And, I'll get to see Mr. Morgan---he's my guy."
Winston Morgan is the father of Blue Demon freshman guard Moses Morgan and played at Indiana from 1982-86.
"I got to know Mr. Morgan real well through AAU ball," Freeland said. "Moses and I played on the same team, the Lamar Odom I-Can All-Stars."
This will be Faber's second trip to California. As a freshman in 2008, the 6-10 center from Palmdale, Calif. had four rebounds in a 72-54 loss to UCLA in the John R. Wooden Classic at the Honda Center in Anaheim.
Faber was rated the No. 23 center in the nation by Scout.com after averaging 15.8 points and 17.5 rebounds his senior season at Ribet Academy in Los Angeles.
"It was a great all-around time," Faber said about his first trip home. "I graduated from a very small, private school. For the UCLA game, they closed down the school and around 40 people came to watch me play.
"One of my professors was there with his kids. My former coaches were there along with my family and friends. All together, there might have been 50 or so people there to see me play.
"It's exciting and fun. At the same time, there is some added pressure that comes with it. People are expecting a good deal from you, and living up to that can be pretty intense."
DePaul has opened the season with a 114-81 victory over Chicago State followed by a 69-64 loss to Western Carolina.
Oklahoma State (3-0) has knocked off Houston Baptist (89-73), Texas A&M Corpus Christi (68-58) and Nicholls State (76-56).
The Cowboys are led by 6-7, 255-pound Marshall Moses who is averaging 16.7 points and 7.3 rebounds. Guard Keiton Page is scoring 13 points per game while 6-8, 255-pound Darrell Williams is averaging 8.3 points and 11.7 rebounds. Williams played his high school ball at Dunbar on the South Side.
"This is a great tournament, one of the best in the country," said DePaul coach Oliver Purnell. "I competed in it last year with Clemson.
"We have three goals. First, to win as many games as possible. Second, to make improvements, especially in the area of rebounding.
"And third, to use this experience as a way to come closer together as a team."
Purnell was quick to point out that his team's biggest deficiency---defensive rebounding---will be severely tested by Oklahoma State's propensity to crash the offensive boards.
After three games, the Cowboys hold a commanding 47-26 advantage in offensive rebounds.
"Everybody's been working on blocking out the last four days," Purnell said. "Oklahoma State is a very athletic and long team that unfortunately for us goes very well to the offensive glass."
Faber and Freeland hope to be front and center for Thursday's battle of the boards.
"Both of them have been a physical presence for us," Purnell said. "Krys has impacted the game with his physicality, and Tony the same way. Tony played very well against Chicago State (21 points on 9-of-11 shooting)."
That's the kind of performance Freeland would like against Oklahoma State.
"There could be 25 people coming to watch me play---all my high school coaches plus family and friends," said Freeland, who averaged 21.1 points, 12.1 rebounds, 3.4 blocks and was a McDonald's All-American honorable mention as a senior at Fremont High School in the Los Angeles suburb of Sunnydale.
"I want to show everybody how much I've improved since the last time they saw me play in high school. I'm better in everything, including shooting and dribbling. I've gotten faster and gained about 20 pounds of muscle weight.
"And I really don't want to lose because I'll get teased by everyone."
