Bio I wrote for him:

Posted on: April 16, 2018 at 16:13:32 CT

Ricky Frazier

Letterman - 1980, 1981, 1982

The 6'6 forward from Charleston, MO began his career at SLU where he avged 13.7 ppg and 5.6 rebounds and earned the conference's Freshman of the Year honors. But when his coach and former Tiger great Ron Coleman was fired, Ricky elected to transfer to MU. In doing so he brought to the Tigers roster one of the more athletic players to date, someone who could soar above the rim, elevate and hang for his signature mid-range jumpers or alley oops, and with the force to drive to the hoop. His coach Coleman said of him at the time, “Ricky is a great one-on-one player, but he's the most controlled one-on-one player in the country.

With Frazier in the lineup as a sophomore (along with newcomers Jon Sundvold and Steve Stipanovich), MU jumped out to an 11-2 start and a #13 ranking. Frazier would set the MU record for most baskets in a game without a miss against OSU, going a perfect 12 for 12 from the field. In fact, he would shoot 63.5% from the field on the season and MU as a team would hit 57.3%...an team NCAA record that still stands. MU would win the conference title, and march to the Sweet Sixteen before losing to #1 seed LSU to end the season at 25-6. In his first season as a Tiger Frazier would avg 13.8 ppg and 5.6 rebounds.

MU would open the season at #11 in Frazier's junior campaign, and in a somewhat up and down season MU clinched a share of the conference lead with a win over CU in which Frazier scored 26. That set up a meeting with fellow first place team KSU in a one game matchup to determine the conference champion. After KSU tied the game at 43 with 7:44 remaining, Norm elected to go into a stall in an era before the shot clock, hoping to draw KSU out of their zone. MU maintained possession the entire time, and with seven seconds remaining Frazier improvised a drive to the basket, elevated…and made the shot while being fouled to give MU a 46-43 win. It also gave MU its second consecutive Big 8 Title with Frazier on the team. Frazier would avg 16.3 ppg and 6.5 rebounds on the season, earning First Team All Conference recognition as MU finished 22-10.

Frazier's senior season was the year where MU transitioned from being a regional power to an elite player on the national scene, and Frazier would move from guard back to his more natural small forward position. MU would start the year ranked #16, but after knocking off Illinois 78-68 in a game where Frazier scored 28 and wining the preseason Winston Tire Classic MU would finish the non-con 10-0 and ranked #4…the highest ranking for the program up to that point. After winning their first several conference games, MU would match up with national power Louisville and Frazier would lead the Tigers with 22 in a 69-55 MU win that resulted in MU climbing to #2. When MU knocked off ku to run their record to 15-0 and #1 UNC lost during the week only a victory over OU stood in the way of MU retaining their undefeated status and the program's first #1 ranking. An 84-64 blowout that MU led several times by 30 sealed the deal and on Jan 25th MU was the nation's top team. MU extended the streak to a perfect 19-0, before falling to NU when Frazier scored just 6 points. MU and Frazier would rebound in a low scoring affair in Lawrence where Ricky made all 8 of his field goal attempts to lead the Tigers with 20, and MU defeated ku 42-41 where Frazier had 10 of MU's only 12 points in the second half. He followed that up with a team leading 18 in a 89-82 win over OSU. In a marquee matchup late in the season of premier centers Stipo and Ewing, MU faced off with Georgetown. And although Frazier stole the show with 24 points and 14 boards, MU fell 63-51. After clinching their 3rd consecutive conference title, MU would advance to the conference tourney final against OU. Frazier would score 24 on 12 of 14 shooting to go with 9 boards to capture the tourney title for MU, marking the first time MU had won the regular and post season Big 8 titles in the same season. Frazier would shoot 77.8% from the field in the tournament and earn SI's National Player of the Week honors. MU received a #2 seed and the accompanying first round bye in the NCAA tournament, before beating Marquette 73-69 when Frazier and Stipo combined for 39. That set up a meeting with a relatively unknown Houston team in the Sweet Sixteen…a Houston team that would later be referred to as Phi Slamma Jamma and included Akeem Olajuwon, Rob Williams, and Clyde Drexler. Frazier was a non-factor in the first half, making only 4 free throws and no field goals. But he would score 25 in the second half to finish with 29 to keep the Tigers in it. Unfortunately the Tigers had but one Ricky Frazier and Houston had multiple future NBA all stars and MU fell 79-78.

Frazier would again avg over 16 ppg to lead the team in scoring for the second straight year and 6.5 rebounds, this time shooting 61.3% from the floor. He was named not only First Team All Conference, but the Conference Player of the Year and an All American. He finished his career with 1,448 points as MU's all time leading scorer. He now ranks 13th, and was the highest scoring 3 year Tiger until Kareem Rush passed him 20 years later. His career FG% of 59.4% is the second highest in program history. He was selected with the 26th pick in the NBA draft by the Bulls. In perhaps his greatest honor, Norm Stewart called Frazier “the best competitor we ever had.”