Illinois Basketball: Which Illini players hit expectations in 2017-2018

Trent Frazier

Expectation: Exceeded

Coming into the program, the expectations for Trent Frazier weren’t terribly high. He was a sensational player in the state of Florida with some accolades to show for it. But, the recruiting rankings had him as the No. 109 player in the class of 2017.

I would say Frazier exceeded expectations by a mile year one with the Illini. I would have been happy if he was near the 10 points per game mark but he smashed that. He had the confidence of a seasoned veteran and it showed in every game.

There were sometimes I questioned what Frazier was doing but that is what happens when you have a true freshman handling the ball the majority of the game. His decision making was terrible at times. He would drive the lane and not have much control over his body. But, these issues were small compared to the huge positive impact he had on the team.

Frazier finished the season averaging 12.5 points, 3.1 assists, 1.8 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game. There is still a lot of room for improvement but to say his season wasn’t spectacular for a true freshman would be insane. I can’t wait to see this kid continue to improve and develop into the best player in the Big Ten. There is no doubt he surpassed every expectation I had for him.