MATT FREIJE, BA’04
It’s autumn in Middle Tennessee, and Matt Freije, BA’04, is enjoying the cooler weather and outdoor chores at his home in Brentwood. He also enjoys the company of his wife, Amy, and their newborn son, Benton Matthew, born in March. “He’s keeping me busy,” Freije admits with pride.
Vanderbilt basketball fans associate the sounds of squeaky sneakers on hardwood floors with Freije, the second-leading scorer in Vanderbilt history and the second-round pick of the Miami Heat in 2004. That squeaky sneakers sound was joined by a mix of foreign voices as Freije took his game to an international level last year, when he played for the Mets de Guaynabo team in Puerto Rico and for the Lebanon national team.
“My last name is Lebanese,” he explains. “My great-grandfather came over from Lebanon. They called me and asked me to play. They speak English, French and Arabic there, so language isn’t a problem.” The sneakers will squeak again soon for Freije, but at the moment, he’s enjoying the sounds of home.
