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Top player for Nittany Lions out for season
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That optimism might be put to the test in these next few months.
Senior guard Tim Frazier, not only the Nittany Lions' best player but also one of the best in the country, will miss the rest of the season. He was scheduled to have surgery for a ruptured Achilles tendon he suffered in a game Sunday against Akron.
"He's done everything I've asked him to do and then some," Chambers said of Frazier. "But he's resilient. He will persevere. He will come back from this injury bigger, better and stronger, which is scary."
Frazier averaged 18.8 points, 6.2 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 2.4 steals last year, leading the Nittany Lions in those categories. He was averaging 21.7 points a game the first three games of this season and will be able to apply for a medical redshirt if he wants and have another year of eligibility.
Clearly, the pressing issue for Penn State (2-2) is how the team will move on without him, playing in a conference with four teams ranked in The Associated Press Top 25.
Chambers declined to comment on how the new lineup might look, saying to wait for the game Friday against Bucknell, but he said players such as forward Ross Travis and guard Jermaine Marshall would need to step up.
Frazier will become an assistant coach of sorts, Chambers said. He plans to have Frazier sit at the front of the bench with him and his assistants.
In as grim of an hour as he has faced as head coach at Penn State, Chambers stressed the same message he always has.
"I'm the leader of this program," he said. "I'm not a loser. I'm not a guy that sulks. I'm not a guy that makes a million excuses. Don't feel sorry for us. Nobody does. We're going to go out and grind and play Penn State basketball."
First Published November 21, 2012 12:00 am
