This week, news came out that St. John’s incoming transfer Donnie Freeman will miss the entire 2026-27 season with an Achilles tear.
It is absolutely gut-wrenching for a young man who has already spent so much time on the trainer’s table. Seeing a player’s season end in July just sucks, man.
Freeman played in just 37 games over two seasons at Syracuse, battling foot/toe issues, before becoming one of the most prized recruits in the portal this spring. Heading down the stretch of his recruitment in April, the recruiting battle came down to Kentucky and St. John’s, and a rising price. Mark Pope, fresh off dealing with an oft-injured, big-time transfer of his own, decided to bow out.
It was a risk for Pope at the time. There were fewer frontcourt options available in the portal, and Freeman clearly fit a need for the Wildcats. But the price tag kept going up, the durability concerns lingered, and Rick Pitino ultimately won out.
Since the injury news broke, I’ve seen the argument floating around that Freeman’s Achilles tear justifies Pope’s decision to pass on him. Folks are treating it like Kentucky dodged a bullet.
It is absolutely gut-wrenching for a young man who has already spent so much time on the trainer’s table. Seeing a player’s season end in July just sucks, man.
Freeman played in just 37 games over two seasons at Syracuse, battling foot/toe issues, before becoming one of the most prized recruits in the portal this spring. Heading down the stretch of his recruitment in April, the recruiting battle came down to Kentucky and St. John’s, and a rising price. Mark Pope, fresh off dealing with an oft-injured, big-time transfer of his own, decided to bow out.
It was a risk for Pope at the time. There were fewer frontcourt options available in the portal, and Freeman clearly fit a need for the Wildcats. But the price tag kept going up, the durability concerns lingered, and Rick Pitino ultimately won out.
Since the injury news broke, I’ve seen the argument floating around that Freeman’s Achilles tear justifies Pope’s decision to pass on him. Folks are treating it like Kentucky dodged a bullet.
28 days ago
