It takes pressure off the guards to be asked to score and lead and the emphasis is in toughness and rebounding. ..It also requires Freeman to be accountable for not just himself but to learn how to lead.
These are learning curves for the staff and what appears to be the entire culture. I don't know if it translates into RU becoming a top defensive team overnight but it's a good sign that the staff asked one of the players most likely to get the tough rebounds to be the captain.
This will be a gradual change but necessary to make RU competitive on defense first. Freeman and Sa will be a good combo of dirty work inside for the staff to lean on.