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Freije Goes to Miami in Second Round of 2004 NBA Draft 6/25/2004
Freije Goes to Miami in Second Round of 2004 NBA Draft NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Former Vanderbilt Commodore Matt Freije was selected by the Miami Heat in the second round (53rd pick overall) of the 2004 NBA Draft, Thursday, June 24. “It was a long night, a little of nerve-wracking,” Freije said. “It feels good to be drafted. It’s a big relief. I’m happy Miami picked me. It seems my workout with them was one of my better workouts with any team. I worked out with them twice. “One of the things that they had trouble with last year in the playoffs was outside shooting. Hopefully, I can go in there and show them that I can do that and earn a roster spot on their team.” Freije, who plans to travel to Miami on Friday, becomes the 31st player in Vanderbilt history to be selected in the NBA Draft and the first since Dallas picked Dan Langhi in the second round in 2000. Freije (6-9, 249, forward, Overland Park, Kan.) ended his Vanderbilt career as the school’s all-time leading scorer, amassing 1,891 points. He ranked second in the Southeastern Conference in scoring last season with 18.4 points a contest while helping guide the Commodores to a 23-10 overall record and their first appearance in an NCAA Tournament regional semifinal since 1993. Named an Honorable Mention All-American by the Associated Press, Freije was a finalist for several national player of the year awards, including Naismith, Wooden and Rupp. Freije was a unanimous All-SEC First Team selection by the league’s coaches, and was named a Senior CLASS First Team All-American as one of the top seniors in the nation. Freije graduated from Vanderbilt in May with a degree in Economics. |
