Special Section — Q: Who will replace Dee?

A. Chester Frazier.

The lesson here: Don't doubt a man who's endured more than 10 tattoos.

Perhaps the only thing that's outdone Chester Frazier's flourishing body art has been his early-season game.

The biggest question mark – a void at point guard created by the departure of Dee Brown – is on its way to being answered by the Illini's smallest player.

Listed at 6-foot-2, 180 pounds, Frazier was Illinois' most consistent contributor in two exhibition games. The sophomore had 23 points, 10 assists and a team-high 11 rebounds while running the show at a controlled pace. Four turnovers in 64 minutes? The Illini will take it.

"He's a tough nut," coach Bruce Weber said.

Frazier credits his Baltimore background with that toughness. He plays through pain, evidenced by a deep thigh bruise he sustained last week in practice. Two days after a nasty collision with former football player C.J. Jackson, Frazier ignored the coaches' requests to take a breather.

"We're telling him to get off, andhe just keeps playing," Weber said.

"The thing that players from Baltimore have in common is toughness," Frazier said.

Teammates trust Frazier, a good sign for any point guard. And Illinois has enjoyed some great ones. The latest was Brown, who claimed the Bob Cousy Award last season as the nation's top point guard.

The comparison is unfair, but it's bound to surface: How does Chester compare with Dee?

"Chester and Dee. Let me see," senior Warren Carter said. "I love them both. Both great guys. Chester is fast, he wants to win. I feel like he has the biggest heart on our team, just like Dee did. I would love to see him play the best point guard in the nation right now, just because I know he's not going to back down. He's going to go hard, no matter what."

Senior Rich McBride said, "I'm not surprised at all" with the way Frazier has performed. Frazier indicated fans shouldn't be surprised if Illinois is better than people think.

"A lot of people are saying Dee Brown is gone, James Augustine is gone. It's just time for other people to step up," Frazier said. "You look at Florida last year. You wouldn't have thought they would make the NCAA tournament, let alone win the national championship. They shocked a lot of people."

Comments

Add a Comment