Winner: January 4, 2004

Matt Freije

Photo: Vanderbilt Athletics

School: Vanderbilt
Sport: Basketball
Position: Forward
Class: Senior
Major: Economics

For Matt Freije and the Vanderbilt Commodores these are some good times. a 11-0 record, wins over Michigan, Indiana and mighty Belmont (that ones for you Missouri fans) and a top 25 ranking have Nashville buzzing about Vandy's men's basketball team for the first time in a long time.

Freije is a huge part of that in more ways then one. The senior from Shawnee Mission, Kansas used regular trips to a local Chili's to bulk up over the summer adding close to 25 pounds to his 6' 10" frame. The hard work, if you can call it that, is paying off for Freije who is averaging close to 20 points per game and just under six rebounds in about 25 minutes of action.

Nobody who knows college basketball is surprised by his success. Freije was chosen as the SEC pre-season player of the year, a Wooden award finalist and has graced the all-SEC first teams for most of the pre-season magazines. While the senior came to Vanderbilt with little fan fare he is now considered a solid prospect to play at the next level and hopes to lead the Commodores to their first NCAA tournament berth since 1996.

Of course if the NBA doesn't work out a degree in economics from a school like Vanderbilt isn't a bad thing to fall back on and at the very least he can be a spokesman for Chili's.

Waiter, another Bloomin' Onion please!