Trent Frazier declares for NBA Draft, hiring agent

Trent Frazier had the option to come back for an extra year due to the pandemic, but he will enter the NBA Draft instead.

Frazier announced his decision to put his name in the field and hire an agent on Friday night.

“I will be an Illini forever!” Frazier wrote in his message.

The four-year senior originally committed to John Groce, but stuck around when Brad Underwood was named the program’s head coach. And it was a bet that paid off.

While the first two seasons were full of losing, Frazier was the guy on offense, pairing up with Ayo Dosunmu in the backcourt starting as a sophomore. But it wasn’t just his shooting — and three-point shooting — that made a difference. No, the kid from Florida became one of the Big Ten’s best on-ball defenders, locking up some of the country’s top guards.

While Frazier could have returned for a fifth season — and would have found himself on top of a number of Illini records — nobody can blame him for turning pro, with likely options available overseas, as well as on Illinois’ TBT team House of ‘Paign.

Senior Da’Monte Williams has yet to make a decision on if he will return for his covid year.