In the game with Maury's Sim Frazier

NORFOLK

The evolution of Sim Frazier as a leader for Maury’s boys basketball team began about the time he started kindergarten.

“When he was 5 years old he was dribbling the ball all over the house all the time,” said Frazier’s father, Sim Sr.

As he grew older, Frazier played one-on-one games against his father, an AAU basketball coach who didn’t believe in taking it easy on the youngster.

“He could break me down and make me cry,” the younger Frazier said. “He pushed me hard. But I’m grateful for it now.”

Maury coach Jack Baker also is grateful. Frazier, who has signed with Howard, is the Commodores’ top scorer at 17.0 points per game. And his play at point guard draws rave reviews from his coach.

“He knows the game so well, which a point guard has to do,” Baker said. “He’s a good passer. And he takes the ball to the hole as well as anybody that I’ve had.”

That’s saying something, considering Baker is in his 35th season as Maury’s head coach.

Baker says he saw Frazier’s ability to excel when he was a freshman. But Baker marvels at how Frazier has developed.

Maury didn’t have a lot of talent when Frazier was an underclassman, so he needed to be a scorer for teams that finished below .500 in 2007-08 and 2008-09.

Frazier didn’t disappoint, earning Eastern District Newcomer of the Year honors as a freshman and making second-team all-district as a sophomore.

But the past two seasons, Maury’s roster has included talented scorers such as Jamal Ferguson, who has committed to Marquette. So instead of being “The Man,” Frazier is happy to get the ball to the open man.

“I try to get everybody else involved so other teams can’t key on me,” Frazier said.

Maury reached the Group AAA state tournament last season for the first time since 2004. But the Commodores struggled early this season and were 10-7 on Jan. 29.

That day, Frazier recorded a triple-double in a win over Bayside. Maury hasn’t lost since. Among the highlights in the five-game winning streak was a comeback victory over Lake Taylor in which Frazier scored 11 of his 17 points in the second half.

“Sim and Jamal have given us good leadership the past couple weeks,” Baker said. “They realize now is the time we want to play well. We were fortunate enough to do it last year, and we’re trying to do it again this year.”