“It starts now.” Tim Frazier shouted in a pregame video playing above court at the Bryce Jordan Center.
A few minutes later, the 2013 Penn State basketball season started off right with the Nittany Lions defeating Wagner 74-62 Saturday afternoon.
For Frazier, it marked his official return to action after missing most of last season with a torn right achilles tendon. The now fifth year senior is back and seemingly as healthy as ever, scoring 25 points and pulling down 10 rebounds in his return debut.
“I can tell you man I had so many jitters running through my veins,” Frazier said. “To see the fans, step on the court, really put a jersey on and have it really count. I sat down so long and I missed so much. To be able to step back on the court with these guys, it was an amazing moment and I’ll never forget this day.”
Frazier did little sitting during Saturday’s contest, playing 39 minutes and taking control in key situations as Penn State battled opening game nerves and a tenacious Wanger team.
“It was just him and I before we ran out,” coach Pat Chambers said of Frazier. “We had a nice moment together. He’s worked so hard to get to this point and you can understand – jacked up for the first 20 minutes and I think he settled things down in the second, which was good.”
Penn State started the game slow, but managed to turn the lethargic start into a 10-point lead midway through the opening 20 minutes. The Nittany Lions were led by guard DJ Newbill who has moved back to his more familiar position on the wing this season after taking over point guard duties last year. The junior scored 11 points in the opening half and pulled down 5 rebounds.
Frazier and Newbill combined for 43 points and 21 rebounds during an impressive outing by one of the nation’s more talented backcourts. Penn State took a 32-20 lead into the half, shooting 33-percent from the field but making 16 free throws.
“(Tim) played a great game today,” Newbill said. “It’s good to have him back on the court.”
Overall Penn State was able to fend off of a few short bursts by Wagner in the second half. Wagner cut Penn State’s lead to three in the early stages of the second half but the Nittany Lions responded with an offensive burst of their own. The tandem of Brandon Taylor and Ross Travis added 17 points and 9 rebounds, while freshman Graham Woodward made his freshman debut hitting his only shot, a three-pointer. Freshman Geno Thorpe also contributed two points in four minutes of play.
Frazier’s return also marked the first time he could apply what he learned as a player-coach last season as a player this year. With an extra year under his belt, Frazier feels he has matured as a player.
“Sometimes you see me run over to coach and you see certain situations that I take on my own,” Frazier said. “And he is giving me the leeway of that. I call certain plays, and call certain defensive plays and we just make eye contact and its fine. I think that’s what a year benefited me for was being able to be a step ahead of sometimes what coach is looking for and as well as what the team needs.
“In certain situations where they’re going on a run and we need to get to the basket, we need to get a foul, we need a good shot and I think that’s what that maturity of sitting out a year is going to help me.”
Penn State will need all the basketball IQ it can get as the Nittany Lions look to make an impact this season.
