Illinois Basketball: A thank you to the Illini players who are leaving the program

Trent Frazier

I still remember the days when Illinois was recruiting Trent Frazier. The Wellington High School star was lighting up the scoreboard down in Florida.

Frazier decided to commit to then-head coach John Groce and the Illini. This was a big commitment for the Orange and Blue. Even after Illinois moved on from Groce, Frazier still kept with his commitment to the program. He could have easily switched over to a team like UCF, but he stayed true to his word.

On paper, it won’t show you the sacrifices that Frazier made for the Illinois basketball team. He was the go-to guy as a freshman. But, in year two, Illinois added Ayo Dosunmu. Frazier could have kept wanting the ball to bolster his own numbers, but he did what was best for the team and let Ayo take the lead role.

That unselfishness took Illinois from a rising team to one of the best programs in the country. I give Frazier all the credit in the world for making that sacrifice for the team. Even with Frazier taking a backseat to Ayo as the lead role, he still managed to average 11.4 points, 2.9 assists, and 2.4 rebounds during his Illinois career.

Illinois would go on to win a regular season and tournament Big Ten crown. We made it to three NCAA tournaments and played in two. The Illini also finished three-straight seasons ranked inside the AP Top 25.

Frazier sacrificed for the Orange and Blue, and this helped us win. His presence will never be forgotten, and I just wanted to say, thank you. Thank you for everything, Trent. You might not get a statue or your jersey hung in the rafters, but just know, you are a legend to a lot of Illinois basketball fans.