Nick Fruendt is not afraid of a challenge.
This past weekend during an all-star game, the 6-foot-5 guard from Batavia, Ill., tenaciously attacked the basket and met the challenge of another player’s elbow.
The result: Fruendt needed 12 stitches to repair the gash to his forehead. The injury was a rare one for the Northwestern recruit, but the aggressive drive to the basket was not.
Fruendt’s next challenge: helping the Wildcats turn around after a disappointing season.
“I’d say everyone thinks we have a chance of being so much better because we’re getting our whole team back right from the start,” Fruendt said. “The guys that are there have an added year of experience and we have a great group of guys coming in.”
Fruendt should feel some confidence. He is entering NU with a very successful group of recruits, who figure to be a big part of the team next season. All four players averaged at least 15 points and seven rebounds per game their senior years.
Each adds something different, but the focus of the recruiting class was adding depth to a frontcourt that did not have any players taller than 6-foot-8. Davide Corletti, Luka Mirkovic and Fruendt’s AAU teammate John Sherna all add much needed height and size down low.
But Fruendt does not fill that prescription. He is the only guard in this year’s recruiting class.
He averaged 19.9 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game his senior year at Batavia High School, helping the school earn its third straight Western Sun Conference championship. The Chicago Sun-Times made him a 4A First Team All-State selection.
The Cats already have a lot of guards, as well as some players who will be moving back to their natural positions. But sophomore forward Kevin Coble said Fruendt fits in with his high basketball IQ and all-around skills.
“We have a lot of guards, but his game is unique in (that) he can see the floor very well,” Coble said. “Hopefully he will continue to develop his shot and make that more of a threat. I think he is a good driver and hopefully that will create some problems with defenses.”
Coach Bill Carmody described Fruendt as a solid all-around player – someone who has good fundamentals, can slash and drive, can make plays, get to the basket and finish.
Fruendt said he feels his offensive game is tailored for Carmody’s Princeton system, with its cuts and screens.
His size and versatility will also add something new to the Cats’ cache of guards.
“He’s a big guard, small forward, swing guard – whatever you want to call him,” Carmody said. “He is going to compete with all the guys. Can he back up Craig Moore? Can he back up whoever is at forward? We’ll have to wait and see on that.
“You never know with freshmen. Some make a transition easily, others don’t.”
NU has had recent success with freshman guards performing well, and Fruendt is going to be expected to compete and contribute to next year’s team.
Moore started 24 of 29 games as a freshman in 2005-06, scoring 6.8 points in 27.4 minutes per game. Coble led the team in scoring with 13.4 points in 31.1 minutes per game his freshman campaign two years ago. Michael Thompson started every game at point guard last season, averaging 11.6 points and 4.3 assists.
Fruendt hopes to follow in their footsteps. He said the experience of those three will help lower the learning curve for him and the other recruits.
Likewise, his talent and play will help NU improve.
“It’s a two-way street – they’ll help us and we’ll help them,” Coble said. “Hopefully we’ll be able to bring them along on offense and what we try to do. But at the same time, having them out there with us, it’s going to be a fresh group of guys almost (for us). I remember when I was a freshman, coming in being able to play with Craig, Tim (Doyle) and Vince (Scott), having some experience puts you at ease a little bit.”
Last year’s disappointing finish hangs over Fruendt and the entire team. The scars from the season have driven the team to work hard in the offseason to prove it can make a turnaround.
That work ethic is rubbing off on Fruendt and Sherna, who are regularly in Evanston to play basketball with the team.
“The main reason people play basketball is they want to step up to the challenges,” Fruendt said.
He will have the chance to do just that next year.
