“interview With:” Bobby Frasor

Once again I am completely amazed with all the people that have been so willing to help me and help  The Fifth Corner grow. In this edition of “Interview With:” I am able to talk to one of the ex national champions from last season, Bobby Frasor, who is currently playing overseas. The point guard talks about his recruiting, his time at North Carolina and his future once he is done playing basketball. But enough of me and my talking, enjoy this “Interview With:” Bobby Frasor…

A.E.M.: Having a father who was a basketball coach you must have been playing at a very young age. But did you ever believe that you would someday be on a national championship squad in college and then playing professional ball?

Bobby Frasor: My first memories of basketball are from tagging along with my dad to his team’s practices and games. I fell in love with basketball and when I first witnessed a college basketball game, I knew that is what I wanted to do. My dad played at Wisconsin, and I grew up attending those games and being huge Badger fan. My dream was to play division 1 basketball and play in a Final Four. That was a big part of my decision to attend UNC because I knew we would realistically be able to contend for the NCAA championship every year. To finally win one as a senior and playing most of the game was a dream come true. Now I get paid to play a sport I love, although it’s not in America, I am enjoying it while I can.

A.E.M.: As a basketball player in high school that knows he will be playing at the next level, how do things change once you have coaching staffs from Division I schools coming to see you? Is it pretty normal overall or does it become overwhelming?

Bobby Frasor: I think I was able keep my recruitment under control and that helped from becoming overwhelmed. Coaches do call and send letters a lot, so it was nice to have the schools I was interested in narrowed down. A big challenge was not become complacent because coaches were recruiting you. I luckily have 3 older sisters who keep me grounded and constantly remind me when I miss a shot or free throw. Overall, the entire recruiting process was enjoyable and I am glad I was able to experience it.

A.E.M.: Once you chose the University of North Carolina (which I am so delighted you did) who was the first person you told? And secondly, either before or after making your choice did you talk to the other recruits from your class?

Bobby Frasor: First people I told were my parents and family. I had visited some other schools and really enjoyed the campus and visits, but after I visited Carolina, it was a no brainer where I wanted to attend college. After I told my family, I called coach Williams and let him know. The only other commit from the class of ’05 was Marcus, but I did not talk to him or anyone else before making my decision. One thing that was difficult to do was call the coaches from the other schools recruiting you because you form such a close relationship with them.

A.E.M.: When you got onto the campus, knowing that just a couple of months before UNC had won the national title, did you guys feel pressure to maintain that high standard?

Bobby Frasor: As soon as we were on campus I don’t think people expected much from us. The fans were happy with ’05 and were almost throwing ’06 out and saying wait until ’07. We loved the fact that we were underdogs. Not many North Carolina basketball teams can play the underdog card, but we took advantage of it and really surprised some people. I think we did maintain the high standard of Carolina Basketball even though people may have expected us to have a down year.

A.E.M.: We all saw Bobby Frasor the player, a hard working guard on the floor, who was the image of the “team player”. But who is Bobby Frasor off the court and in the college atmosphere? In other words what were your favorite things to do when not on the hardwoods?

Bobby Frasor: I loved everything about college. Being on campus, meeting new people, sporting events. I just tried to get the most out of my college experience and I think Marcus, Tyler, Danny, Mike, and myself did just that. It was funny to see people experience something new like Tyler in a performance class, or joining and intramural softball team. Outside of the gym, I like to think I was just like any other student at UNC. I played video games, went to baseball games, joined some clubs, stayed up and had late night pizza. Basically the normal college life except other students knew who you were because you played a sport.

A.E.M.: Can you tell us what the “Carolina Family/Way” is? What it means to you?

Bobby Frasor: Carolina Family is pretty special. I know if I needed a favor from someone who played at Carolina that they would be more than willing to help. If I meet someone who played at Carolina there is an immediate connection because we both wore the North Carolina jersey. The best thing about it is that no one person or team is greater than the entire family. Michael Jordan was great, the ’05 team was great, but none of that is bigger than the Carolina Family.

A.E.M.: You played for a Hall of Famer coach, one that I believe is the perfect fit for UNC. But just like Bobby Frasor the player, most of us only see Roy Williams the head coach. How is Roy Williams the person?

Bobby Frasor: What you see with Coach is what you get. He is not fake for fans or cameras. He is a genuine and honest man. I think anyone who read his book will agree with that. Coach Williams really cares about his family, players, and staff and takes pride in being an extremely hard worker. He is not only a great coach but a great person, and I am lucky to have played for him and have him as a part of my life.

A.E.M.: Talking about the coach once more. If there is one thing that the UNC boards love to go back and forth on it is “Coach Williams doesn’t call enough time outs”. (Let me say I am not one of those people). But can you shed some light on why coach Williams likes to have his team play through instead of calling time outs during the beginning/middle of the game?

Bobby Frasor: Whenever a team is making a run and it looks like were struggling, he usually waits until a media timeout because more than likely the game is not going to be won in the first half of a game. He will tell the players, “I didn’t get us into this deficit, so you guys can work your way out.” It is very true that timeouts are much more valuable at the end of the game. (Look at the recent Georgia Tech game.) But my first ever home ACC game was against NC State and we were down 12-0 and coach let us play through and I think we won by 12. People should not question anything Coach decides because has probably thought about every possible situation imaginable because basketball is his job.

A.E.M.: And finally, what is going to be Bobby Frasor’s next chapter? Still in basketball, maybe as a coach, or doing something totally different?

Bobby Frasor: Right now I am enjoying playing professionally and being able to see some parts of the world that I never would have thought to visit. Who knows how long I will play for, but when it’s over, I would like to give coaching a try. I believe I could be a good coach, and being the son of a coach and a teacher, I would really enjoy teaching the game and helping younger players develop. Then again I could go back to school, receive a masters, and settle into a 9 to 5 job somewhere. Basically, I have no idea what is next for me.

If this didn’t give you a bit of an insight into the basketball team and out head coach I don’t know what will. And all that I can say is “thank you so much” to Bobby Frasor for giving his time in doing this. I look forward to tallking again to him in the future, but until then all I can say is, once again, “thank you so much”.

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