Auburn Adds Former Creighton Forward Owen Freeman to Bolster Frontcourt

Auburn continued reshaping its roster under head coach Steven Pearl on Monday with the addition of former Creighton forward Owen Freeman, a 6-foot-10 big man who brings both proven college production and untapped upside to the Tigers’ frontcourt.

Freeman arrives with one year of eligibility remaining and joins Auburn after a challenging junior season that limited his impact on the court. Despite his recent struggles, his track record at Iowa remains a strong indicator of his potential when fully healthy.

The move represents Auburn’s continued effort to reinforce its interior rotation after a season in which frontcourt depth was inconsistent. Freeman becomes the latest piece in a broader roster overhaul aimed at improving size and scoring efficiency near the basket.

His commitment also reflects Auburn’s emphasis on familiar connections within the coaching staff, as relationships built during earlier stages of his college career played a role in his decision.

1. Injury-Hampered Season at Creighton

Freeman’s lone season at Creighton did not unfold as expected, as he battled through a knee injury that disrupted his rhythm and limited his overall production. He appeared in 26 games, starting nine, while playing just under 12 minutes per contest. During that span, he averaged 5.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 0.9 assists, shooting an efficient 60.2% from the field despite a reduced role. His impact was often situational, with limited opportunities to build consistency. The injury not only affected his availability but also his timing and conditioning, preventing him from fully reestablishing the form he displayed earlier in his college career. By the postseason, his contributions remained limited, and his transfer to Auburn marks an opportunity to reset and return to a more prominent role.

2. High-Level Production at Iowa

Before his time at Creighton, Freeman established himself as one of the most productive young frontcourt players in the Big Ten during his two seasons at Iowa. His freshman year immediately stood out, earning him Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors. He averaged 10.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game in 2023–24, quickly developing a reputation as a strong interior presence on both ends of the floor. Freeman followed that with an even stronger sophomore campaign, averaging 16.7 points and 6.7 rebounds across 19 games while shooting an impressive 63.8% from the field. He scored in double figures in every appearance during that stretch. His season was cut short by a finger injury, but not before he had already recorded three double-doubles and established himself as one of the most efficient scorers in the conference.

3. Auburn’s Frontcourt Rebuild

Freeman now enters an Auburn program actively rebuilding its interior depth after a season in which frontcourt production was inconsistent. He becomes the second transfer addition in this cycle and the third frontcourt piece added overall. He joins Santa Clara transfer Bukky Oboye and French 7-footer Narcisse Ngoy in a newly constructed rotation designed to address Auburn’s need for size, rebounding, and interior scoring presence. Freeman’s role will likely depend on his ability to regain the form he showed at Iowa, where he was one of the Big Ten’s most efficient and productive interior scorers when healthy and fully engaged. Auburn’s roster overhaul comes after a 22–16 season under Pearl, which included a 7–11 conference record and a narrow miss of the NCAA Tournament, though the team closed the year strongly by winning the NIT championship.