Austin Freeman, the Georgetown Hoyas college basketball star who was diagnosed with diabetes last week, returned to help him team knock off Cincinnati 74-47 in the club’s regular season finale, according to a recent article from the Associated Press.
Freeman, 20, was diagnosed with diabetes shortly after he was rushed to the emergency room last Monday. Doctors said it could take up to a month to determine whether Freeman has Type 1 diabetes or Type 2 diabetes. The 6-foot-4 guard rejoined his team for practice on Wednesday, but it was unclear at the time when he would return to games.
People with Type 1 diabetes do not produce the insulin, the hormone that regulates the amount of sugar in the blood. They must inject insulin several times a day to regulate their blood sugar. People with Type 2 diabetes produce insulin, but their body does not use it efficiently. Some people with Type 2 can put their diabetes in check with diet and exercise, but most need medication to help control their sugar levels. With both types, it is important to keep blood sugar levels under control to avoid some dangerous short-term and long-term complications.
In the game against Cincinnati, Freeman made 8 of his 15 shots, scoring 24 points, including four 3-pointers. Freeman, who scored the team’s first points on a layup, played 30 minutes, just four minutes shy of his average of 34 minutes.
The team and fans alike celebrated Freeman on Sunday. He was given a standing ovation when coach John Thompson III presented Freeman with a game ball in recognition of the junior’s 1,000th career point, which he scored a few games earlier. He was also given an ovation when it was announced Freeman would be starting the game.
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[...] Hoyas was recently diagnosed with diabetes (See Diabetes News Hound, March 8, 2010 : “Georgetown Basketball Star Returns to Lineup After Diabetes Diagnosis“) Other famous athletes with the disease include Jay Cutler, quarterback of the Chicago [...]