Melvin Frazier's rise from promising rookie to NBA player helped The American to a record-setting showing at the NBA Draft 

by Dick Weiss 

The American Athletic Conference, which continues to upgrade its profile in men’s basketball, made a dent in the 2018 NBA Draft with two first-round draft picks, three picks in the top 35 and four selections overall.
 
Wichita State’s 6-3 point guard Landry Shamet went 26th overall to the Philadelphia 76ers, where he should be a secondary ball handler to Rookie of the Year candidate Ben Simmons with the ability to knock down 3-point shots. Shamet was the first Wichita State player to go in the first round in 34 years.
 
Cincinnati’s Jacob Evans, a 6-6 junior guard who was selected by Golden State at No. 28, has shown the ability to play with or without the ball and has the versatility to guard multiple positions for the offensively minded 2018 NBA champions. The 76ers also plucked 6-6 big-bodied combo guard Shake Milton from SMU with the 54th pick in the second round.
 
But the most intriguing draft pick from the league may have been 6-6 junior wing guard Melvin Frazier Jr. of Tulane, a hyperactive defensive stopper both on and off the bench who was taken by Orlando with the 35th pick.
 
Frazier was the first Tulane player to be selected in the NBA draft since Jerald Honeycutt in 1997 and just fell short of becoming the first player taken in the first round of the draft in school history. Frazier, who grew up in New Orleans and played for L.W. Higgins High, is a late bloomer who entered the draft after bursting onto the national scene this past season. He averaged 15.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists and was selected The American’s Most Improved Player in 2018.
 
It was a quantum leap for Frazier, who struggled to find a role in his first two years at Tulane, averaging 5.2 points as a freshman and 11.5 points as a sophomore
 
 Frazier solidified his position at the NBA draft combine with his rare athleticism, recording a 40.5- inch vertical leap, the second-highest among all forwards in the camp and dazzled scouts when he threw down a spectacular windmill dunk in transition, offering a quick glimpse into the player he could become.
 
The 21-year old Frazier, who grew up competing against older players on the West Bank, learned at an early age playing defense was the best way to get into pickup games.
 
“A lot of guys today, in this generation, don’t like to play defense,” he said. “It’s just something I like to do. And I knew defense is going to get me on the floor.”  
 
Frazier had another skill that set him apart in high school; he could really jump.
 
He was a slashing scorer who had the ability to finish on the break and regularly threw down jaw-dropping dunks at a 6-4 forward in high school where he created havoc in transition and hounded opponents at the defensive end. However, as a high school senior, he was moved to the point guard spot on a young team for most of his senior year and was uncomfortable for most of the season before rallying his 20th-seeded team from a lackluster season and carrying them to the state semifinals for the first time since 2001.
 
Frazier was ranked the fourth best prospect in the state as a senior when he signed to play for then-coach Ed Conroy at Tulane, choosing the Green Wave over Arkansas, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.  
 
But there were times when he was uncertain that his day at the draft would ever come. Frazier was expected to become an instant star in his hometown as a wing, but his college career got off to a rocky start and there were questions whether Frazier would even stay at the school after a coaching change that followed the 2016 season.
 
Frazier had his concerns alleviated after he met with new coach Mike Dunleavy Sr., who had 30 years of experience as a player and coach. Dunleavy saw that Frazier had flaws offensively. But he also knew he had a high ceiling.
 
“People said that he was a bust, that he didn’t have a great freshman year,” Dunleavy said. “But the tools that were there to work with were outstanding.”
 
Frazier had a 7-1¾-inch wingspan, a slender frame, length, athleticism and a newfound shooting stroke.
 
Dunleavy worked to improve Frazier’s shooting mechanics and ballhandling drills. Frazier was a relative unknown coming into his junior year. He had 10 games where he scored at least 20 points, including a career high 28-point performance against Memphis and 27 points against both Temple and SMU and became a much more efficient player offensively, shooting 55.8 percent from the floor and 39 percent from the 3-point arc after shooting a combined 27.2 percent from deep over his first two seasons. He showed signs of becoming a three-and D player at the next level who could emerge as a lockdown defender.
 
Selecting Frazier should shore up the Magic’s wing depth and give them another strong defensive option. With a need on the wing behind Evan Fournier, Terrance Ross and Jonathan Simmons, Frazier has the potential to give them a much-needed lift off the bench.
 
“Defensively, I don’t think there’s really any question about what he can do,” Dunleavy said. “Mel can guard the 1, 2 or 3 and guard them at a high level. Now, he’s showing ability from the offensive end of the floor, as well. He’s one of those guys you look at as a two-way player, a guy that is a safe bet at the next level.”