Trent Frazier named to All-Big Ten Defensive Team

The recognition keeps coming for the Illini.

The Big Ten announced it’s All-Big Ten and individual honors on Tuesday, and Illini guard Trent Frazier is among those who received some hardware.

The senior finally received some recognition for his defensive prowess, being named to the All-Big Ten Defensive Team.

Frazier averaged over a steal per game, but what really made his season impressive is what opposing top guards were able to do against the Illini.

Frazier held All-Big Ten first teamer Marcus Carr to just 6-for-24 shooting in two games. Without Ayo Dosunmu in the lineup, Frazier held Teddy Allen of Nebraska and Mike Smith of Michigan to a combined 12 points.

“I thought our defense really set the tone early,” said head coach Brad Underwood after the Michigan win. “I couldn’t be happier about the job Trent Frazier did on Mike Smith, thought that was a key matchup coming into the game.”

Against Iowa, Frazier held sharp shooter Jordan Bohannon to just 6 points and the list goes on and on.

Offensively Frazier had a solid year as well, averaging 10.6 points, 3 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. His 24 points in the win over Iowa and 22 in the domination of Michigan come to mind for the left-hander, and his four threes made down the stretch to force overtime against Indiana can not be forgotten.

The senior was also named as an honorable mention to the All-Big Ten team, as he was in his freshman and sophomore seasons as well.

As the postseason approaches, the Illini will rely heavily on Frazier’s defense to spark a deep run into both the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments.