University of Georgia Athletics
A Quick Chat With ... J.J. Frazier
February 20, 2017 | Men's Basketball
By John Frierson
UGAAA Staff Writer
Georgia men's basketball senior J.J. Frazier is both really good and really entertaining on the court. The same is true of him off it.
The 5-foot-10 guard hits a lot of 3-pointers, sure, 533 in his career as of last Saturday night, and some of those are of the Stephen Curry-like, jaw-dropping variety. But as compelling as Frazier's 3s from 25 feet are, it's the attacking by the undersized player from Glennville, Ga., that makes him one of the SEC's and college basketball's most entertaining players.
During a recent chat inside Georgia's practice gym, Frazier talked about his playing style, his tiny hometown of around 5,000 people (about 65 miles inland from Savannah), dunking and much more. Here's some of what he had to say:
Frierson: Is there anything more fun than shooting a basketball?
Frazier: I don't know, getting rebounds is pretty fun. Getting tough rebounds, that's pretty fun.
Frierson: Do you surprise yourself with your rebounding numbers [he was third on the team with 4.6 per game last season and is averaging 3.4 this season], just because there are a lot of guys a lot bigger than you out there?
Frazier: In high school I was a great rebounder and there have been a few games [at Georgia] where coach looked at the stats and told me I had eight or nine rebounds. I'd be like, well, that's pretty impressive, even for myself.
Frierson: What's the best live performance you've ever seen? It can be a concert, a play or even an incredible performance in a game.
Frazier: Ooh, that's a good question. I'm going to say when I was a freshman in high school, one of my teammates hit 11 3s in a game. I haven't been to any concerts or anything where I would say, that was better than that one.
Kenny Gaines last year against Tennessee at home in the second half [when Gaines hit four 3s and scored 17 points] was incredible, the Murray State game was incredible — I've got a couple, but I think the one when I was a freshman in high school stands out the most. I'd never seen anyone be as locked in as that for a whole game.
Frierson: You may be happy to hear that when I asked Juwan Parker that question a few days ago, his answer was seeing you score 37 at Mississippi State earlier in your career.
Frazier: Ah, man, that feels like a decade ago.
Frierson: What can you do now on a basketball court that was simply not possible four or five years ago? Where have you improved the most or expanded you game the most?
Frazier: I'd probably say the way I handle pressure, as far as dealing with the intensity of the game. I think my leadership has vastly and greatly improved. When stuff gets hard and things get hard, I'm not about to crack.
I think four years ago, definitely five or six years ago, I would have been a loose cannon.
Frierson: What's the most creative thing you do? Or what's something creative you wish you could do?
Frazier: I don't really wish I could do anything; I'm blessed with the talent God has given me. I think the most creative thing I do is when I finish over a big man — and half the time I'm not looking at the basket. Even when I make it I'll be excited.
For example, the layup I made at Kentucky to tie the game: they called a timeout and I looked at coach and said, "I don't know how I made that." [Laughs] And he looked back at me and said, "I don't know how you do half the things you do."
Frierson: I can say that you're one of the most enjoyable players to watch that I've seen in a long time. Part of it is that you and I are about the same height and you don't hesitate when you're going up against big men. But you'll also pull up from 25 feet and hit a 3.
It has to be satisfying to be both a good player and someone that people like tuning in to see. I don't know if you aspire to that or if that's just what comes out when you play the game.
Frazier: I appreciate that. I'm a Christian-based man and what I pray is that the talent that God has given men, whatever I do, let everybody see something good. That's probably the biggest compliment that I can receive, that I'm a joy to watch and what I do amazes people.
Frierson: What about creativity off the court, do you sing, play the piano or anything?
Frazier: I play the piano a little bit. I used to play the drums, but my sister [Kadeshia] got better than me at that so I had to learn to do something else, which is how I started to play the piano.
Frierson: What's something from your childhood that you really miss?
Frazier: I'd say my relationship with my sister. Not that it's bad, it's just that we're grown and we have different obligations in life. When we were younger we were inseparable.
Frierson: If you could go back and talk to your 18-year-old self that showed up here ...
Frazier: 17-year-old.
Frierson: Even better, the 17-year-old version of yourself that showed up here, what advice would you give him?
Frazier: Don't fight the process. You've got people in your corner that are looking out for your best interests and you have to understand that it's not you against the world. I think the 17-year-old version of myself was "me against the world" and that's the edge that I always have to play with, and I took it as a personal lifestyle.
I would tell the 17-year-old me to understand that your court personality and your off-the-court personality are two different personalities.
Frierson: Tell me about Glennville — looking it up on Wikipedia, there's not a lot of information about it. There are the former NFL stars, Sterling and Shannon Sharpe, who are from there, and this was the final line in the Wikipedia description that just had to write down: "The city is known for farming crickets and pecans."
What else can you tell me about your hometown?
Frazier: It's about as big as this gym, but it's the place that I grew up in and it made me who I am. It's the reason that I have my strengths and the reason I have my deficiencies. I would't change where I come from, I wouldn't change the people I've grown up around — it's a lot of things, but it's the place I call home.
Frierson: It's interesting because you went from there to a school that is nearly 10 times bigger than the town you're from, plus you have the rest of Athens on top of that. Was that a big adjustment?
Frazier: It wasn't really an adjustment as far as how big it was, because I'm a people person, so I enjoy the attention and meeting other people, regardless of whether they are athletes or not. I think I have more non-athletic friends than I do athletic friends, so the adjustment for me was not having my mom around or, really, people telling my what I have to do at night.
I could just do what I wanted to do, and I think that was the biggest adjustment — being disciplined enough to do what I'm supposed to do, day in and day out.
Frierson: I usually ask guys about their first dunks. As a guy that never came close to touching the rim, I'm kind of fascinated by the whole thing. But I don't think I've ever seen you dunk and I don't know if you can.
Frazier: I actually dunked a couple of weeks back in practice. My teammates were joking with me about how I can never dunk, but in a game when I make a layup my hand will be up there [at the rim], so I dunked in practice the other day.
I think my first dunk, I was a junior in high school and we were playing Mt. Zion out of North Carolina, and my high school coach was like, "I bet you can't dunk it." I got a fast break and I just took off and dunked it.
Frierson: Did you surprise yourself?
Frazier: Yeah, because when you're just warming up or playing around and you dunk, it's different. But in a game, you're tired and there's more adrenaline, and I just dunked it. It surprised me too.
Frierson: Have you dunked in a game at Georgia? I don't recall one.
Frazier: No. Me and coach had a deal my freshman year, if I dunk in a game he has to shave his head. So I've just got to get that opportunity. If it's a breakaway and I'm free, I'm going to try to dunk it.
Frierson: I was going to say, what the heck are you waiting on?
Frazier: I might get in trouble. [Laughs] If I miss it I'm going to get in trouble, but I'm going to try to dunk it.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
