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Auburn lands Creighton transfer Owen Freeman, adds frontcourt upside

Justin Hokansonby: Justin Hokanson04/20/26_JHokanson

Auburn has added another piece to its frontcourt with the commitment of 6-foot-10 Creighton transfer forward/center Owen Freeman.

Freeman visited Auburn on Friday and left on Saturday morning.

Freeman arrives on the Plains with a promising track record, starting with his time at Iowa, where he was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year and quickly developed into one of the league’s most productive big men.

He was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2023-24 after averaging 10.6 points and 6.6 rebounds at Iowa. Freeman followed that by averaging 16.7 points and 6.7 rebounds through 19 games as a sophomore before a finger injury on his right hand required surgery and ended his season.

He transferred to Creighton ahead of last season and was named preseason All-Big East, but his year never fully got on track.

Freeman suffered a meniscus injury between his Iowa and Creighton seasons, which delayed his conditioning and development entering the year. He went on to play in 26 games, averaging 5.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 0.8 blocks in a limited role.

For his career, the 6-foot-10 big man has averaged 10.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.5 blocks per game over 79 appearances.

Freeman was a four-star prospect in the On3 Industry Rankings out of high school, rated No. 163 overall.

Freeman’s relationship with former Iowa assistant and current Auburn assistant Matt Gatens played an important role. Gatens has a strong understanding of the type of person and player Freeman is.

Now, the question for Auburn is simple: can Freeman get back to the form he showed at Iowa?

If healthy, Freeman gives the Tigers a proven interior presence with scoring touch, rebounding ability and rim protection. But his impact will ultimately hinge on how quickly — and how fully — he can return to that level following last year’s setback.

Paired with French 7-footer Narcisse Ngoy and 7-foot Santa Clara transfer Bukky Oboye, Freeman gives Auburn another tall, versatile option as it builds out its frontcourt.

PlayerRising ClassPositionTrending
OvertonSenior2RETURNING
FreemanJunior3TRANSFER
PettifordJunior1/2RETURNING
Williams-AdamsSophomore4/5TRANSFER
JovicSophomore4/5TRANSFER
BashirJunior2TRANSFER
MagwoodSophomore1/2TRANSFER
WalkerSophomore2RETURNING
OpurumSophomore5RETURNING
MuschalekSenior2RETURNING
Narcisse NgoyJunior5Signee
Caleb WilliamsFreshman3Signee
Bukky OboyeJunior5Signee
Thomas DowdSenior3/4Signee
Owen FreemanSenior4/5Signee