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The accolades and accomplishments are a side note when Patrick Chambers talks about fifth-year senior point guard Tim Frazier. Frazier has received first-team All-Big Ten honors and a couple of preseason first-team All-Conference nods, was re- cently named a Senior CLASS Award final- ist and made the Cousy Award watch list. Those are a few of the awards he has earned in his career, and he has the sta- tistics to back up all the recognition. He's only the second player in Big Ten history to score 1,000 points, dish 600 assists and grab 500 rebounds, and earlier this season he became Penn State's all-time assists leader, passing Freddie Barnes' ca- reer total of 600. But Frazier's significance during the first three tumultuous seasons of Chambers' tenure with the Nittany Lions extends far beyond the hardwood. "Obviously, he's a great basketball player. He's done some things that a lot of individuals haven't done in a long time, so basketballwise, that speaks for itself," Chambers said. But he's also had an im- pact "as a human being, as an ambassa- dor for this program and an ambassador for the university in such a tough time. With everything that we've gone through with the university in the last three years – a kid like that who excels in the class- room, excels in charity – you're not just losing a basketball player; you're losing a son. "[He's] somebody who means a great deal to me, because we have invested a lot into each other and we spent a great deal of time together. I'm sure it's going to be hard for both of us, but I think he's ready for the next chapter." For Frazier, of course, the next chapter is on a 12-month delay. He had entered the 2012-13 season as a Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 selection and Naismith Award Watch List candi- date, but Frazier's career went on hiatus, and with it his bid to develop himself into an NBA prospect. Frazier ruptured his Achilles tendon just four games into the year, and the numbers that were to propel him to the next level never materialized. All told, he went 15 of 42 from the floor and finished his truncated season with 65 points, 18 rebounds and 15 assists. With Frazier watching from the bench, the Nittany Lions finished 10-21 overall and opened the Big Ten season by losing their first 14 games. But while Frazier's absence was readily apparent, his maturation into a team leader was continuing. Chambers said that when he arrived at Penn State in 2011, Frazier "really couldn't speak in front of people. He was uncomfortable, he was very quiet, very meek." Realizing how dynamic Frazier could be on the court, Chambers wanted more. He wanted a true leader who was capable of commanding the attention of both opponents and team- mates. So, rather than letting Frazier drift into the shadows while recuperating from the injury, Chambers kept his shaken point guard in the spotlight. Frazier gave speeches in front of huge groups of people recounting the injury and how it had changed his life. And with each speaking engagement, he became better at interact- ing with people. While the staccato speech patterns familiar to Penn State beat re- porters didn't change much, the subject matter did. "I've always been an outgoing person, but it's different from just going out there and talking and actually saying some stuff that's meaningful that people can under- stand," Frazier said. "That's the difference in being able to still be personable and still go out there and say things that peo- ple are going to listen to and understand." The message that Frazier has strived to impart has to do with maturity and the importance of seizing of opportunities when they present themselves. He has spoken at everything from THON-related events to summer basketball camps, re- counting an experience that was at once humbling, devastating, and a jolt to his perspective. Teammate D.J. Newbill, the redshirt junior guard whom Frazier affectionately calls his "brother," has witnessed the transformation firsthand. "I think he appreciates what he has more," Newbill said. "Not saying that he didn't do it before, but just seeing every- thing taken away from him in a moment. A lot of times, you see guys get injured on TV, and you're like, 'Man, that couldn't be me…' until it actually is you. "When I first got here, he kind of [kept] to himself. Now, he's like the star of the show. He's not [keeping] to himself, he's for everybody, and that's one of the ways he's grown and his character has grown. It's him growing as a leader and a captain, stepping out of his comfort zone." Seeing Frazier emerge as a public figure, one who can connect with a room full of people, Chambers can't help but take pride in his growth. The Nittany Lions' coach frequently offers notes and sugges- tions aimed at furthering Frazier's per- sonal development. "We've done our job as coaches," Cham- bers said. "We've developed him as a man. Not only as a basketball player, but a man who can go out in front of anybody and speak to anybody, which is special. To get through his injury, there were peaks and valleys, ups and downs, but there was no quit in the kid. Never say never." M A R C H 5 , 2 0 1 4 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 11 'Peaks and valleys' Tim Frazier's fifth season at PSU is winding down, and what a ride it has been M E N ' S B A S K E T B A L L FRAZIER BWI File Photo N A T E   B A U E R   | N B A U E R @ B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M

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