Kevin Freeman (born March 3, 1978) is a Springfield, Massachusetts native, former professional basketball player, UConn star, coach, and youth mentor.

Born and raised in Springfield (an “Eastern Ave. kid” who worked out at local gyms including STCC), he attended Kensington and Armory elementary schools and Kiley Junior High. He starred at Longmeadow High School, where he scored over 1,000 points and led the Lancers to the Western Massachusetts Division I final in 1995, before transferring for his senior year to Paterson Catholic High School in New Jersey, where he was an All-State performer and helped win multiple state titles. He also played on a standout AAU team that included future NBA stars like Kobe Bryant, Vince Carter, Tim Thomas, and Richard Hamilton.

A 6-foot-7 power forward, Freeman played college basketball at the University of Connecticut under Hall of Fame coach Jim Calhoun from 1996–2000. He was a multi-year starter (126 starts in 140 games, a school record for games played at the time and still near the top), averaging 10.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game for his career while shooting 53.4% from the field. Career totals: 1,476 points and 913 rebounds (one of only a handful of Huskies with 1,400+ points and 900+ boards).

Key highlights include:

• Junior year (1998–99): Career-high 12.2 points and 7.3 rebounds per game; Big East Tournament Most Outstanding Player as UConn won the conference title; starter on UConn’s first NCAA national championship team (1999), earning NCAA West Regional All-Tournament honors.

• Senior year: Co-captain, averaged 11.0 points and 5.7 rebounds.

• Member of the gold-medal-winning USA team at the 1999 World University Games.

• Named to the UConn All-Century Team.

Undrafted in the 2000 NBA Draft, he played professionally for 11 years (2000–2010) overseas in places including Italy, Australia, Greece, South Korea, China, Puerto Rico, Spain, Venezuela, the Philippines, and Mexico, among others. He earned All-NBL Third Team honors in Australia in 2004 and contributed to championships in Venezuela.

After retiring, Freeman returned to UConn in 2011 as assistant director (then director) of basketball administration under Jim Calhoun and Kevin Ollie, contributing to the 2014 NCAA championship and 2016 AAC title. He later served as an assistant coach at Penn State (2018–2020) and briefly as an assistant at UConn under Dan Hurley (2020–2021). He has since moved into administration as Associate Director of Athletics and Executive Director of the National “C” Club at UConn, focusing on mentoring, networking, and alumni relations.

Freeman remains deeply tied to Springfield basketball. He founded the Kevin Freeman Basketball Academy (focused on skill development and life skills for youth) and has coached the Springfield Freeman Academy Ballers, who won the 2026 US Open Basketball East Championship. He regularly returns home to speak with and mentor local kids, stressing academics, consistent workouts, and staying focused.

In short, Kevin Freeman is a Springfield product who rose from local courts to help deliver UConn’s first national title, enjoyed a long pro career abroad, and has continued giving back through coaching, administration, and youth programs in his hometown.