Frater Masters Big Stage
LONG BEACH, CA - At 6 feet 7 tall and a hair over 240 pounds, Frater Travon Free (Delta-Theta) will be battling for a starting forward position on the revamped Long Beach State Basketball Team. The year 2005 wasn't kind to Free, who was forced to sit the entire season after knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus. This year Free is confident that he will not only make an impact, but he hopes his return will land the 49ers in the NCAA Tournament.
Last year, the 49ers concluded the season one win shy of the Big Dance, losing to perennial powerhouse Pacific in the Big West Conference Final. This year ESPN predicts that the 49ers will make it to the field of 64 by running away with the conference title. Averaging almost 84 points per game during their 18-12 season, the 49ers lost three starters in the off-season. But everywhere they seemed to lose scoring or rebounding, they have come up with talented reserves in the wings.
Two years ago Travon averaged 3.9 points and 4.0 rebounds for the 49ers before succumbing to injuries. Free will offer some much needed depth to the frontcourt and, if he can remain healthy, may be the missing link to the conference title. According to ESPN, at 6-7, Free is a little undersized, but at 246 pounds and with an eye for cleaning the glass, the Compton, California product can be a very productive player under the basket.
However, that is not where this story ends. Frater Travon's talents extend past the basketball court and onto an even bigger stage. The criminal justice major spent a majority of his 2005 season on the bench learning a new trade and keeping his team in stitches, while his surgically repaired knee healed. From there, teammates, coaches and fraters from the Delta-Theta house urged him to go on stage as a comedian. Frater Travon took up their challenge and brought down The Ice House in Pasedena, California.
As reported in the OC Register: "His first night on stage, the bright stage lights in the stamp-sized room blinded him so much he couldn't see past the front row. He staggered a bit, groped for the microphone, squinted then shaded his eyes with his hand to try to see the audience. He didn't think before his tongue let loose: "The last time I saw lights this bright, the next words I heard were 'Put your hands where I can see 'em!'"
Since that time, Free has earned a spot in the finals of the "Uncle Clyde's Soup or Bowl of Comedy," which has a Grand Prize of $500, a week-long gig at The Ice House, and more importantly an entry in the $10,000 amateur competition at the Boston Comedy Festival.
Whether it is throwing out jokes on the big stage or throwing down dunks on the court, Frater Travon Free is committed to excellence in and out of the bright lights.
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