Sky is the Limit

The cartoon astronaut surrounded by planets came to life on Brayon Freeman's left forearm during his junior year of high school over the course of an ink session that stretched past three hours and tested his pain tolerance. The intergalactic scene is flanked by a four-word phrase the D.C. native heard often growing up from his parents and coaches in the face of challenges on and off the basketball court: SKY IS THE LIMIT.

"It's a reminder I can get anywhere that I need to if I put in the work and do the things that I need to do," Freeman said. "If I might be having a bad game, I can look down at my arm and see that: The sky's the limit. It kind of gets me back on the right mind track. Instead of being frustrated and pouting, it's a reminder that anything's possible."

In the first few games of his college basketball career, Freeman flashed his immense potential with his energetic play on both ends off the bench, and recently, the young point guard's production has spiked as he continues to get more comfortable with his role.

On Dec. 4 at Charlotte, Freeman piled up an all-around stat line that's been unmatched nationwide this season with 11 points, eight assists and six steals, and he followed that up by posting eight assists vs. one turnover, plus 10 points, in last Wednesday's home win over Coppin State before hitting a career high with 16 points in Monday's defeat of Radford.

Freeman has impressed everyone around the program with his contagious energy, competitive fire and enthusiasm to learn on a daily basis. With Atlantic 10 play looming, the ambitious rookie will look to build on that strong start while continuing to find ways to spark the Buff and Blue.

"Bray's a relationship guy," Head Coach Jamion Christian said after the win over Coppin State. "When he feels connected to the message and connected to the people that are giving that message, he's going to do everything he can to help you win.

"We're fortunate to have a guy that can create like that, that can score like that, that's unselfish, that has a great basketball IQ. I'm just excited to keep coaching him."
Brayon Freeman drives to the basket

That Freeman is making this sort of instant impact is no surprise.

A consensus three-star recruit, he was ranked among the top 30 point guards in his class after testing himself vs. top competition during a decorated prep career. Time and again during the young floor general's recruitment, Christian watched him take on the nation's best prospects and find a way to stand out.

"As soon as we started recruiting him, I was like, 'I love how this guy plays the game,'" Christian said. "When the ball goes up, he's ready to go compete. It's special to watch."

Likewise, Freeman believed in how that skillset translated into Christian's vision for a championship program when he signed to stick close to home in Foggy Bottom.

He said it was important to find a coach that trusted in his ability and granted him the freedom to create the best play possible. After all, the tattoo above his Sky is the Limit scene says I Believe in Me.

"I felt like with him I could be myself," Freeman said. "I knew I wouldn't have to change my game or change the way I do things. He lets me be me, and within his system, it all just works."

Freeman has embraced his role providing a jolt off the bench.

The first glimpse of that explosiveness came in the season-opening victory over Saint Francis (Pa.) when he grabbed a steal near the opposite baseline and then raced the length of the court in transition for a left-handed finish. (Those first collegiate points came with a fresh set of stitches above his eye after taking an elbow to the face fighting for a first-half rebound.)

The early-season highlights included stat-stuffing efforts like a seven-rebound effort at Cal State Fullerton and a 13-point performance in 18 minutes vs. UMass Lowell, as well as a fair share of the type of hustle plays to lift the Buff and Blue that extend beyond the box score.

"If you play hard, then good things will happen," Freeman said. "It's that simple. Just go out there and give it all you've got, and the basketball gods, I will say, will put you in the right place to make plays and help your team win."
Brayon Freeman goes to the basket vs. St. Francis (Pa.).

Brayon Freeman goes to the basket vs. St. Francis (Pa.).

Lately, Freeman has showcased his prowess as a distributor, piling up 22 assists vs. six turnovers over the past four games. He's been able to find a rhythm leading a revamped offensive attack with solid decision-making and entertaining flair to earn a continually increasing role.

Against Coppin State, Freeman was almost single-handedly responsible for swinging the momentum on the way to a comfortable victory.

The Buff and Blue trailed by six points late in the opening half before surging in front with an 11-3 run over the final 2:37, a stretch that included seven points from Freeman and a nifty dish to Joe Bamisile for a dunk.

Out of the break, Christian kept Freeman on the floor, and the youngster was a catalyst on both ends for an 8-0 burst over the first four minutes that pushed the advantage to double digits. He finished with six helpers and a pair of steals after halftime, doing his part to keep the home crowd buzzing with his highlight-reel plays and the animated celebrations that followed them.

"It's inspirational," Bamisile said afterward. "This guy right here, you'd be surprised how off the court he's mellow, and then all the sudden, you see this new guy when it comes to playing. It's like, 'Damn, I should play hard, too.'"

On Monday, Freeman did it again, firing off the bench to make an instant impact. GW trailed Radford in the opening minutes before he scored eight points in his first six minutes of action. His only miss in that tremendous start was a layup that was slammed home by Lindo.

"That's the future of the A-10!" teammate Ira Lee called from the bench after Freeman swished a 3-pointer during the run.

Following the Buff and Blue's second straight victory, Christian looked beyond the youngster's career-best scoring effort to praise his constant pressure on the opposing point guard with disrupting the Radford attack.

"I feel like everybody has their role on this team, and I kind of like my role the best," Freeman said. "Because it gives everybody that spark. It's exciting how the crowd gets into it, how the coaches, the players all get into it when I get in."

Freeman's mission to energize the Buff and Blue has been boosted by a dedicated cheering section of friends and relatives at the Smith Center. The rookie's support system, led by parents Brian and Erika, has been dozens strong almost every time out, and he's hopeful he'll continue to make new fans in his hometown as he goes along.

"I'm here because it's a great school, a great opportunity," Freeman said. "If we can win and we can do some things that GW basketball hasn't done before, it'd be big for the city. Because there's a lot of talent here, and a lot of these kids, they don't get the chance to go to school. Maybe they'll look this way if I can show them what's possible."

As he pushes forward toward those lofty goals, Freeman has plenty of room to grow. He'll continue to hone his outside shot and learn how best to set up his teammates for offensive success while navigating A-10 play for the first time.

The young guard feels ready for what's next. He'll put in the work and trust that the results will follow for himself and his team. The sky is the limit.

"We didn't start out how we wanted to, but we've just got to do what we know," Freeman said. "If you stay consistent with your work and how you approach things, the game will treat you well. You've just got to keep your head down, keep working and grind it out."

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