March 5, 2012
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA.; MARCH 5, 2012 - Penn State junior guard Tim Frazier (Houston, Texas) has posted one of the finest statistical seasons in Penn State history and was recognized Monday with his selection to the All-Big Ten first-team by members of the conference media.
Frazier, who became the first Nittany Lion ever to lead the Big Ten in assists and also led the conference in steals while finishing second in Big Ten scoring, is the sixth Nittany Lion ever to earn first-team All-Big Ten honors and the third guard joining Joe Crispin (2001) and Talor Battle (2009 & 2011). Frazier also became the first Lion named to the Big Ten All-Defensive Team by the conference coaches since the award began in 2006.
One of two NCAA Division I players averaging at least 17 points and 6.3 assists per game, Frazier was joined on the All-Big Ten first-team by 2012 Big Ten Player of the Year Draymond Green (Michigan State), Jared Sullinger (Ohio State), Robbie Hummel (Purdue) and John Shurna (Northwestern). All four forwards also earned first-team selection by the Big Ten coaches who named Frazier to the All-Big Ten second-team and placed Wisconsin's Jordan Taylor on the first-team.
Michigan State's Tom Izzo was named the 2012 Big Ten Coach of the Year by both coaches and media. The coaches named Aaron Craft (Ohio State) the Defensive Player of the Year, Cody Zeller (Indiana) Freshman of the Year and D.J. Byrd (Purdue) Sixth Man of the Year. The media selected Trey Burke (Michigan) as the Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Draymond Green was the only unanimous first-team selection and was named Big Ten Player of the Year by both the coaches and media.
Frazier posted 2.4 steals per game to lead the Big Ten in conference games as he joined Dan Earl (1996) and Titus Ivory (2001) as just the third Lion to lead the Big Ten in steals. He was joined on the Big Ten All-Defensive Team by Craft, Victor Oladipo (Indiana), Green, and Josh Gasser (Wisconsin).
Frazier's 19.6 ppg in conference play finished second only to Shurna's 20.0 ppg and rank as the fifth most in conference play among major conference players on the year. He stands 12th in the NCAA and leads the Big Ten with 6.3 assists per game having posted 194 on the year to set a new Penn State season record. Frazier leads the Big Ten and ranks fourth among major conference players with 16 20-point games on the year and has posted 21-straight double-digit scoring games and 29 total on the year while leading the Lions in scoring in 24 games.
Frazier surpassed his season scoring average 12 times in Big Ten play and posted an average of 21 ppg in Big Ten road games. He is the first Nittany Lion ever to post at least 500 points, 150 assists and 50 steals in a season and the first to record a top 10 season in scoring, assists and steals in the same year. His 576 points on the year rank seventh all-time at Penn State to go with his record assist total and 71 steals that rank seventh. He needs just 24 points to become only the fifth Nittany Lion to record 600 points in a season.
Frazier is on pace to become just the third Penn State player to lead the team in scoring, rebounding, assists and steals in the same season and has been involved in scoring or assisting on 58 percent of Penn State's baskets on the year, a mark that leads the nation by a wide margin. His five double-doubles on the year are the fifth-most in the Big Ten on the year and the most for a Nittany Lion since 2007-08.
Frazier and No. 12 seed Penn State (12-19; 4-14 Big Ten) will take on No. 5 seeded and 15th-ranked Indiana (24-7; 11-7 Big Ten) in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament Thursday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. That game will tip at approximately 2:00 p.m. on the Big Ten Network.
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