Georgetown’s leading scorer Austin Freeman spoke with the media Thursday afternoon to discuss his diagnosis of diabetes.

“To hear that, it was tough at first, but I know that I can deal with something like this,” Freeman said. “It’s something I have to deal with, and I’ll be able to take care of it.”

Though Freeman’s game status is still uncertain for Saturday’s regular season finale, the junior guard says he feels better physically and has returned to practice.

“His sugar levels, we have to monitor [and] we have to watch, and if we do that, we don’t anticipate there being a change in the Austin Freeman that we all know,” Head Coach John Thompson III said.

Freeman first felt ill shortly before last Saturday’s game against Notre Dame. His minutes were limited and the original diagnosis was a stomach virus. He traveled to West Virginia on Sunday with his team, but his health declined Sunday night. After returning to Georgetown Monday morning, he was admitted to the emergency room.

Tests showed that his sugar levels were extremely high, and doctors determined Freeman had diabetes. The news was first reported by The Washington Post.

“When I first found out I was just like, ‘I’m going to have to deal with this, but it’s just a few adjustments I’m going to have to do in my life,'” Freeman said.

Freeman, who said his family has a history of diabetes, has kept an upbeat outlook.

“Nobody wants to have something like this, but it can happen to anybody, so I just want to stay positive,” Freeman said. “I have the support from my coaches, my teammates, my parents and my whole family, so I just want to stay positive.”

Thompson said that Dr. Stephen Clement, head of the Diabetes Center at Georgetown University Hospital, will be at all team practices and games for the remainder of the season to monitor Freeman’s health.

“We’re going to err on the side of caution,” Thompson said. “It’s an education and a learning process for us.

“When we can see how stress, how practice, how running up and down the court affects his levels or doesn’t, then we’ll see … whether and how much he will practice and whether and how much he will play.”

Freeman participated in a full practice on Wednesday and anticipated that he would do the same Thursday afternoon. He said he felt fine physically, and his teammates did not notice any change in his play.

“[He’s the] same Austin,” junior point guard Chris Wright said. “Nothing’s changed on the court. Literally for a stretch there he didn’t miss a shot. He’s been doing it all year.”

Thompson was confident that Freeman will be able to see game action in the near future.

“He will be back, if not Saturday, then this year at 100 percent,” Thompson said. “It may be Saturday. I don’t know what the time frame is going to be for us to monitor and work with him, but we will get to that point.”

The coach said that it may take time for Freeman to learn about his body and differentiate between normal fatigue from an intense game and a feeling of tiredness caused by diabetes.

Freeman said playing in a game will help him deal with the diagnosis and adjustment process.

“I love to play basketball,” Freeman said. “For me to be back on the court and playing with my teammates is just going to mean a lot for me.”

Diabetics are unable to convert blood sugar to energy, but the disease can be managed by keeping track of blood sugar levels and following a healthy diet. A number of athletes have competed at the highest level with diabetes, including former college basketball star Adam Morrison, NBA legend Earl Monroe and current Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler.

“It does help to see those athletes, being diabetic, succeeding. It helps out a lot for me to know that I can do that same,” Freeman said, adding that he will not let it affect him mentally on the basketball court. “I know that I am a diabetic, and I just have to deal with it. It’s not going to bother me on the court.”

Freeman’s coach and teammates emphasized that helping Freeman stay healthy is more important than when he can return to the court.

“We were very concerned about him,” sophomore guard Jason Clark said. “You could see it in his face and tell he wasn’t himself. We’re glad we know what it is now, and we’re looking forward to being with him and helping him get through it.”

Junior forward Julian Vaughn, Freeman’s roommate, said he will meet with the team’s trainer to learn more about diabetes.

“I’ll talk to [Freeman] and just make sure I know how he’s feeling,” Vaughn said. “If I can help him out I will. He’d do the same for me.”

Support has been pouring in for Freeman from friends and family.

“My phone has been going off all day today,” he said. “Everybody has been telling me to stay positive, just keeping me in their prayers. I’m happy that everybody is texting me and letting me know that they’re supporting me.”

*Further Coverage:*

[In Face of Adversity, Freeman Gives Teammates Another Lesson in Composure](https://www.thehoya.com/sports/face-adversity-freeman-gives-teammates-another-lesson-composure/)

[With No Seniors, Hoyas Look to Clinch Big East Bye](https://blogs.thehoya.com/paranoia/?p=2337&preview=true)

[Cincinnati at Georgetown: Starter Comparisons](https://blogs.thehoya.com/paranoia/cincinnati-at-georgetown-starter-comparisons/)”