Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Buffalo adds former Alabama State guard Josh Freelove

Kenny Boynton, Josh Freelove

Alabama State guard Josh Freelove (4) tries to get the ball to the basket but is hampered buy Florida guard Kenny Boynton, left, during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game on Sunday, Nov. 11, 2012, in Gainesville, Fla. where Florida defeated Alabama Tech 84-35. (AP Photo/Phil Sandlin)

AP

First-year Buffalo head coach Bobby Hurley has the fortune of taking over a program that features arguably the best player in the Mid-American Conference in senior forward Javon McCrea. McCrea led the Bulls with averages of 18.0 points and 7.9 rebounds per game, and he’s the early favorite in some circles to grab league Player of the Year honors.

But as evidenced by the Bulls’ 14-20 record, it can’t be McCrea doing all of the heavy lifting by himself if Buffalo is to improve its standing within the tough East Division of the MAC. Buffalo landed some help on Friday, as it was announced that former Alabama State guard Josh Freelove has joined the program and is eligible to play immediately.

Freelove’s name may be familiar to diehard MAC basketball fans, as he spent his freshman campaign at Toledo before transferring to Lewis and Clark CC (Ill.). As a junior at Alabama State, Freelove averaged 13.6 points per game on 46.1% shooting from the field.

Of Buffalo’s top four scorers from a season ago just one (guard Tony Watson II) doesn’t return, and in theory Freelove should be able to account for Watson’s graduation. With McCrea leading the way the pieces are in place for coach Hurley to make a splash in his debut season. But given how well programs like Akron and Ohio have performed in recent years, making that move up the MAC pecking order is easier said than done.

Follow @raphiellej