From a young age, Michael Frazier II reveled in the thought of attending UF.
The Tampa native grew up admiring Gators basketball greats such as Jason Williams, Udonis Haslem and Corey Brewer.
“It’s always been my dream school,” Frazier said. “Even if I didn’t play basketball, I always wanted to come here.”
So when coach Billy Donovan offered Frazier a scholarship midway through high school, the shooting guard seized the opportunity.
Frazier, a four-star recruit ranked No. 88 in the 2012 class by Rivals.com, verbally committed to Florida on Aug. 24, 2010.
The 6-foot-4, 200-pound freshman hopes to provide a spark off the bench for the No. 10 Gators this season. Last year at Montverde Academy, he displayed a strong mid-range game and the ability to attack the rim. He is also a catch-and-shoot threat beyond the arc.
Playing alongside 2013 UF point guard commit Kasey Hill, Frazier averaged a team-best 17 points per game during his senior year.
“He has a nice shot,” redshirt senior guard Mike Rosario said. “He can shoot the ball. … He could provide some shots for us off the bench.”
Frazier is one of four Florida freshmen looking to crack the rotation, joining Braxton Ogbueze, DeVon Walker and Dillon Graham. Donovan is confident in his seven returning players logging the majority of minutes.
“The encouraging part of our freshmen is they’ve been able to sustain a level of intensity, they’re working hard every day and they’re making practice very competitive for us,” Donovan said. “But there’s still an enormous amount those guys have to learn.”
If Frazier finds a role in the rotation, it may be at small forward. The freshman has practiced at small forward and shooting guard.
Frazier said he can defend and rebound against bigger forwards.
His case for playing time could benefit from forward Cody Larson’s departure. With Florida thin in the frontcourt, Casey Prather is likely to see time at power forward, and Will Yeguete will often shift to the center spot. The Gators might need a swingman like Frazier to round out the rotation.
The freshman will get the chance to showcase his scoring prowess when No. 10 Florida squares off against Nebraska-Kearney in an exhibition game on Thursday night at 7 in the O’Connell Center.
“It’s definitely exciting,” Frazier said. “Whenever I get my chance to go in and play, (I’ll) just play as hard as I can.”
