Frazier’s drive has him prepared for final season with Bulldogs

Frank Martin had an army of reporters around his table a month ago at SEC basketball media days.

He was discussing his South Carolina team and the optimism that’s present at the beginning of each season. But roughly 20 minutes into his interview session, a question about Georgia guard J.J. Frazier was brought up, specifically about what makes him such a tough player to scheme against.

“I’ve been in a good mood, man,” Martin said as he started to shake his head in a joking manner.

But there were some painful memories that came to Martin’s mind in each of the three games his South Carolina team had against Georgia. All involved Frazier putting a dagger in the Gamecocks’ collective heart.

In Athens, Frazier hit two late 3-pointers, including a fade-away from the right corner with two men on him to help Georgia pull away late 69-56. In Columbia, South Carolina, Frazier was held in check until late and hit a 3-pointer to put the Bulldogs up six with 1:14 to play in what would be a 74-72 win.

Then, when the two teams met in the SEC Tournament, Frazier dribbled out of a trap, got into the lane and put up a contested floater that tied the game up with 23.4 seconds remaining. On the ensuing possession, Frazier stripped Sindarius Thornwell of the ball and drew a foul. He made one free throw and missed the other on purpose, since only 2.4 seconds remained. South Carolina was unable to get a shot off, and Georgia won 65-64.

“He’s fearless in the moment and a competitor,” Martin said. “I’ve got unbelievable respect for him.”

Where Frazier’s competitive drive began

Frazier was always a pretty good basketball player.

But he had a sister two years older than him who used to whip him pretty good when they’d play one on one at home. Kadeshia Frazier, a great athlete in her own right, would beat him soundly when they were youngsters. It wasn’t until J.J. was around 13 or 14 years old, he said, that he started beating his older sister.

Losing so much as a child gave him a reason to want to be a winner. Those losses helped fuel him his entire career.

“It helped develop a drive as far as competitive nature,” Frazier said. “She used to beat me a lot. My competitive drive became greater as I got older.”

Frazier was considered a three-star recruit according to the 247Sports.com composite, with Georgia the only Power 5 school to offer a scholarship. Given what the college basketball world knows now, the recruiting experts missed on Frazier. But it’s hard to fault the outsiders.

A lot of it had to do with his size at only 5-foot-9 and 155 pounds. He hasn’t grown much, or at all, since. But the toughness he displayed on the court grabbed head coach Mark Fox’s attention when others weren’t noticing.

“I knew I was better than the (recruiting site) stars,” Frazier said. “I knew I was better than I was made out to be. Coach Fox saw that as well and gave me an opportunity.”

Tough love

Fox saw something in Frazier right when he got to campus.

But by no means was Fox going to cater to Frazier and allow him to see early time of the court without earning it first. Fox was tough on Frazier from the start, which is something his teammate and best friend Juwan Parker remembered.

Frazier went through some difficult moments as a freshman and didn’t see a whole lot of playing time until the second half of the season.

“It’s night and day. J.J. had his own path to date,” Parker said. “There have definitely been rough times and good times for him. He stuck it out, and he’s definitely receiving the fruit of his efforts.”

All of that was by design, of course. Offering up some tough love early would pave the way for future success in games to come.

“I probably coached him harder as a freshman than anybody ever,” Fox said.

Frazier had his moments as a sophomore. His breakout game came against Mississippi State, when he went off for 37 points during a six-game streak where he scored double digits.

But just about no one expected Frazier to have the kind of season he had a year ago.

Frazier stepped up to become Georgia’s emotional leader and its finisher in clutch games e averaged 16.9 points and 4.5 rebounds, which included 12 games with 20 points or more. Whenever Georgia needed a big shot, Frazier became the go-to option, despite being the smallest player on the floor.

And when it comes to getting the green light to put up a deep shot? He has earned that right with how many the career 37.7-percent 3-point shooter has made.

“I think J.J. likes to be in a pressure situation because, at least as far as I’ve seen, that’s where he thrives,” junior forward Yante Maten said. “He loves to be at a point where he decides should I pass it, should I shoot it. I’m fine with J.J. shooting 50-foot shots. He can definitely make it.”

Calling the shots

During an October practice, Fox gave an interesting directive to Frazier.

With the players divided into their respective red and white teams, Frazier would be calling the plays for his red group during scrimmage situations. Frazier earned that right after beginning his career getting little playing time and plenty chewings out. He proved to Fox he could play at the level he long saw him.

“We’ve grown as a duo, so to speak, to have an understanding of one another,” Frazier said. “I’ve appreciated everything he’s given me and everything he put me through to get me to this point.”

Letting Frazier call plays for his team in practice has freed up Fox to focus on other areas. And it’s good practice for moments when Georgia’s away and Frazier’s unable to hear what Fox is saying from the bench.

“He’s going to have to lead our team in games when our arena is so loud and you can’t hear the coach,” Fox said. “I let him run his own team. He’s really grown and has become an extension of the coaching staff quite frankly.”

Georgia opens its season Friday against Clemson, and Frazier will embark on his final season with the Bulldogs.

Knowing it’s his final ride, he has stressed to his teammates the importance of starting fast to help achieve the ultimate goal of reaching the NCAA Tournament.

Frazier has attacked practices like he would games and won’t let up.

Maten said that he and Frazier are often on opposite teams in practice, which is tough because Frazier’s motor won’t stop. But he has served as a great teaching tool for the younger players to learn from, which Maten is quick to point out.

“He’s so determined,” Maten said. “He has that mentality where he’s going to win no matter what it’s going to come to. That’s great. But it’s not great if you’re not on the same team. I’m with a lot of young kids, who try and fight back and see what he’s doing.”

This story was originally published November 10, 2016 at 7:45 PM with the headline "Frazier’s drive has him prepared for final season with Bulldogs."