VIDEO: Lennard Freeman at Media Day

Here is our VIDEO of NC State Forward Lennard Freeman talking with the media yesterday at Media Day. Quotes below.

“I’m back now.  I’m not 100% back, but I’m out there playing pick-up and stuff.  I’m almost 100%.”

On projected return…

“I’m on the court now.  In two or three more weeks I should be right back to normal where I left off at.  Beginning of November I should be at 100%.  No pain or anything.”

On how the injury happened…

“It started mid-February.  I felt it in my shin, but I didn’t know exactly what it was.  I’m tough so I played through it.  I thought it would just be a temporary thing, but a week went past and it was still there.  Then I started to feel it in practice.  Every time I jumped it hurt.  I talked to Ryan and we got an X-ray.  With the first X-ray the doctors didn’t get the right picture, and they didn’t see the crack.  He didn’t think anything was wrong, so I just kept on going and it was hurting more.  Then I got an X-ray on the right spot, and they saw the crack.  Then they said lets just try to finish strong, and ice it and put a pad on it towards the end of the year when we got to tournament time.  We knew we only had a couple more games left.  Once the season was over, I immediately sat down and got surgery.”

On the recovery process…

“It was crazy.  For about a month BeeJay (Anya) had to help me get in and out of bed.  I couldn’t drive.  I couldn’t do anything.  Everything I did I had to have a person there to help me.  It was like that for a month, and then I got off of my crutches, and then the boot.”

On this being his first major injury…

“I’ve rolled a couple of ankles, but this is the first time I’ve had to have surgery.”

On dealing with this mentally…

“I just did what I could.   I knew I couldn’t go out there and run, so I would just go out there and shot free throws.  Everyday I would go in there and shoot free throws or ride the bike.  Right after surgery it was hard because I couldn’t do anything.  I had to stay in bed and watch my teammates practice.  That was hard, but now that I’m back on the court you don’t take anything for granted.  You remember for the last three or four months not being able to touch a football, so I’m just glad to be back.”

On shooting free throws…

“Coach Lutz was talking about it in practice.  I have been shooting them 82% in practice on the free throws we charted.  That’s all I’ve been doing.  That’s one thing I was allowed to do, and it was something I was going to work on anyway in the summer, and then with me being hurt, and that being the only thing I could do, I’m glad, because I hope to see a big ‘ol improvement in my free throws.”