The Eve of March with Xavier’s Zach Freemantle, Lipscomb’s Jacob Ognacevic, & Air Force’s Ethan Taylor — HPP S4-E19

With some conference tournaments on the verge of tipping off, Rich Harris sits down with three star players, all of whom lead their respective teams in scoring:  Xavier forward Zach Freemantle, Lipscomb forward Jacob Ognacevic, and Air Force guard Ethan Taylor.

Having overcome a series of injuries, Freemantle is a candidate to be All-Big East this season, averaging 16.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1.1 steals per game.  He ranks in the top ten of the Big East for PPG, RPG, FG% (49.8), and PER (21.8). 

The 12th highest scorer in the country, Ognacevic is the leading candidate to be the POY in the Atlantic Sun Conference.  So far this season, Jacob has led the Bisons to a regular-season championship in the A-Sun, averaging 20.3 points, 8 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game while shooting 58% from the floor, 41% from deep, and 79% from the FT line.  He ranks in the top five of the conference for PPG, RPG, EFG% (64.2), FT%, offensive rating (130.7), PER (26.5), win shares (6.2), and plus-minus (4.4).

A second-year co-captain and a three-time MWC All-Academic selection, Taylor has been a stat-stuffing machine for the Falcons this season, averaging 14.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.6 steals per game, all of which rank in the 12 of the conference.  He also leads the MWC in 3-pointers made with 84 and ranks second with a 3-point percentage of 38.7.  For his career at Air Force, Ethan is the school’s all-time leader in starts with 117 and also ranks second in three’s made, third in assists, and 12th in scoring. 

CHAPTERS:

1. Zach Freemantle Interview (1:30)
2. Jacob Ognacevic Interview (19:21)
3. Ethan Taylor Interview (39:49)