Tomas Oresansky
The 6-foot-11 Tomas Oresansky came to Freed-Hardeman as a raw talent, and left as one of the top players in program history. Hailing from Zelenec, Slovakia, he came to FHU through and international recruiting service and through hard work, became an impact player for the Lions.
Oresansky flourished in his last two seasons, averaging a double-double (15.6 ppg, 10.4 rpg) combined during his junior and senior years while earning first-team All-TranSouth honors both years. As a senior, he averaged career-highs in points (16.4 ppg) and rebounds (11.0 rpg) on his way to an honorable mention All-American selection.
"Tomas played a major role in the success of our men’s basketball program while he was here at FHU," said FHU athletic director Mike McCutchen, who was Oresansky's coach. "As a result of his hard work and commitment, he developed into one of the top players in the TranSouth Conference during his junior and senior years. Tomas was a true student-athlete whose work ethic was evident not only on the court but in the classroom, as well. This is an honor that is well-deserved."
Oresansky left FHU with his name in the career records books, and 11 years later he still ranks highly in several categories. At the time of his induction, he ranked both first and second in single-season field goal percentage and second in career field goal percentage (60.4 percent). He also ranked second in career blocked shots (158), third in career rebounds (943) and 17th in career scoring (1,350).
After graduating from FHU, he returned to Europe and played professionally through 2008 with three different teams. Since his playing career ended, he has worked as a project and commercial manager in the nuclear and energy sector in Slovakia.