Tim Frazier Player Spotlight
This past summer Tim Frazier, the senior captain and star of Coach Pat Chambers’ Penn State Men’s Basketball team, was invited to attend the LeBron Skills Academy held in Las Vegas. Frazier was one of only 24 NCAA Division I players selected to take part in the camp. The goal of the four-day camp was to hone in on the skills necessary to get to the next level and to see the competition that Frazier and the rest of his Nittany Lions.
The season is finally here as Penn State hosts Saint Francis on Friday night. All the talk about the potential of this Penn State team centers around one player, 6’1 170-pound guard, Tim Frazier. In Pat Chambers first season as head coach, Frazier was the lone go-to-guy, averaging 18.8 points and 6.2 assists per game. Frazier, who solidified himself as the floor general last year as a junior, has high expectations for not only himself but the entire team this season.
“We gonna play hard, play together, and play with a great attitude that [Chambers] has instilled in us,” Frazier said.
Frazier has been selected to the preseason all Big-Ten team. Frazier understands what comes with such an honor; so he went on to say that he and his teammates “try to get better each day.”
Being one of the only seniors on the squad this season, Frazier has assumed the father roll of mentoring the freshman players, a class which includes Akosa Maduegbunam, Donovan Jack, and Brandon Taylor. Because Chambers runs an intense offense attack similar in style, yet a hybrid, to Paul Westwood’s during his tenure at LMU, incoming players must adjust quickly. Thanks to Frazier’s leadership on and off the court, Frazier admits, “The freshmen have adjusted tremendously. The freshmen put the hours in to get better each day and learn what the coach wants.”
Frazier likes to run a fast paced offense and hustles hard on defense (Selected to Big-Ten All-Defensive Team last season), so he knows what it takes to perform on the court.
The talk surrounding Penn State basketball is bigger than ever, thanks in large part to Tim Frazier’s sensational play and humble personality. Last month a record number of student season tickets were sold. For a school that has always been all about football, Frazier has led a movement, a movement headed towards the BJC. In response to the students and local fans early support, Frazier noted, “Our Penn State fans, and our student section have done a tremendous job so far.”
So, when Frazier takes the court Friday, look for him to set the tone and tempo for not only the game, but for the remainder of the season. Penn State’s success depends entirely on Tim Frazier, but if you asked him he would say that his shoulders are physically and mentally strong enough to handle the weight of one team.
Tyler Feldman is freshman majoring in broadcast journalism. You can contact him via email at ttf5024@psu.edu.