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his maturation into a team leader was continuing. Chambers said that when he arrived at Penn State in 2011, Frazier "re- ally couldn't speak in front of people. He was uncomfortable, he was very quiet, very meek." Realizing how dynamic Fra- zier could be on the court, Chambers wanted more. He wanted a true leader who was capable of commanding the at- tention of both opponents and team- mates. So, rather than letting Frazier dri6 into the shadows while recuperating from the injury, Chambers kept his shaken point guard in the spotlight. Frazier gave speech- es in front of huge groups of people, re- counting the injury and how it had changed his life. And with each speaking engage- ment, he became better at interacting with people. While the distinctive staccato speech patterns familiar to Penn State beat reporters didn't change much, the subject matter did. "I've always been an outgoing person, but it's di5erent from just going out there and talking and actually saying some stu5 that's meaningful that people can under- stand," Frazier said. "That's the di5erence in being able to still be personable and still go out there and say things that people 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 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 a5ectionately calls his " brother," has witnessed the transformation 4rsthand. "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 4rst 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 4gure, 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 o5ers notes and sug- gestions 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 as 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. I'm just going to keep 4ghting, keep working, keep scratching, keep clawing.' " That determination to succeed kept Frazier and the Nittany Lions going throughout a maddening 2013-14 season. The Lions played 11 games that were de- cided by 4ve points or fewer and dropped the 4rst 4ve of those games in heart- breaking fashion before responding with victories in four of the next six. They got o5 to an 0-6 start in conference play, but nevertheless went on to produce the winningest regular season in Chambers' three years at Penn State, despite all the bumps and bruises along the way. As of this writing, they were preparing for the start of the Big Ten tournament, and they were feeling as though the challenges they had faced throughout the season had toughened them up in ways that didn't necessarily show through in the record book but that will become apparent over time. "Adversity strengthens you, right? You become stronger, tougher, through failure and challenges and adversity, and we've seen our share. There's no question about it," Chambers said. "That's why these kids will all be super-successful in life, because of the way they've handled – especially [Frazier] – their challenges. He's kept a great attitude. He stayed pos- itive. "I'm sure he's disappointed with where we are, but the fact that he's playing back at a high level with such a major injury shows a lot about his courage and a lot about his guts." For a kid who had his entire life shaken just a year earlier, it's a story worth telling. ■ THE FRAZIER FILE YR MIN FGM-FGA FG% 3PM-3PA 3P% FTM-FTA FT% REB AST BLK STL PF TO PTS 2009-10 18.4 1.6-4.3 .386 0.3-0.8 .375 1.4-2.1 .672 2.3 2.4 0.1 0.7 2.1 1.7 5.0 2010-11 30.8 2.1-4.9 .430 0.3-0.9 .344 1.8-2.4 .753 3.9 5.1 0.1 1.0 2.6 2.4 6.3 2011-12 37.1 6.5-15.5 .419 0.8-2.7 .314 5.0-6.3 .791 4.7 6.2 0.2 2.4 2.9 3.7 18.8 2012-13 32.5 3.8-10.5 .357 0.5-2.8 .182 8.3-9.8 .846 4.5 3.8 0.3 2.3 2.0 3.0 16.3 2013-14 35.2 5.2-11.7 .442 0.8-2.7 .286 4.7-5.8 .804 4.4 5.6 0.1 1.7 2.6 2.9 15.8 Per game averages Bill Zimmarman

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