Kofi Cockburn and Andre Curbelo started to run back on defense before Trent Frazier’s step-back three-pointer over Michigan freshman Caleb Houstan found the bottom of the net inside Crisler Arena with about 45 seconds left on the clock to put Illinois up 87-80.
Cockburn and Curbelo were that confident that Frazier’s shot would go in they didn’t even feel a need to crash the glass to potentially secure a third opportunity on the possession should the fifth-year senior’s shot ricocheted off the rim.
For the previous two seasons, Illinois had the best closing-time killer in college basketball in current Chicago Bulls rookie Ayo Dosunmu.
For two seasons, Dosunmu claimed victim after victim in the Big Ten in winning time with dagger after dagger in the final minutes. But entering this season, Illinois didn’t have an answer to who their go-to shot-maker would be in the big moment.
“Yeah, Trent took that (closing time role) from Ayo,” Illinois head coach Brad Underwood said after the Illini’s 93-85 victory over the Wolverines. “Ayo don’t have that thing anymore. That’s all Trent’s.”
Frazier wasn't gifted a great action to run to get an open shot vs. Michigan. Instead, Illinois had to scramble. After Jacob Grandison’s NBA-range three-pointer hit off the front of the rim, Coleman Hawkins gave the Illini a second chance, flying in from the left corner to grab the rebound.
Illinois reset the offense in a basic horns set, (two players prepared to set a screen for Frazier on the perimeter) but Michigan sniffed out the play. Now, it was isolation, one-on-one, best-on-best basketball – Frazier vs. Houstan.
After several dribbles, Frazier went from his left hand to his right hand into a step-back to the right. Off two feet, he launched his high-arching triple. All legendary CBS Sports color commentator Bill Raftery could say was “onions.”
“I just have the ultimate confidence in myself,” Frazier said after the game. “I work on that move hundreds of times every day. So just going to make a player, being a fifth year, down the stretch when it’s close like that I never shy away from the moment.”
A week prior, Frazier was the one who hit the dagger against Michigan State to put the Illini up 79-74 with about 25 seconds left. On consecutive Sundays in the state of Michigan, Frazier hit the biggest shot of the game to finally answer who the closer would be for the Illini in the absence of Dosunmu.
“The only answer I have is being a fifth year,” Frazier said on why he took over the role. “Being part of this offensive style, we play in the high ball screens – I think the biggest thing is coach trusting me down the stretch to make a play. Putting the ball in my hand, going out being a fifth year. Everyone has a lot of confidence in my taking that shot every time – and so do I.”
How Frazier – and Illinois – got here was a process. As recently as Thursday night after the Illini’s disappointing 86-83 to Ohio State Underwood said that Frazier needs to have a mentality to score 30 points on a nightly basis – something has the ability to do.
Because of injuries to Andre Curbelo this season, Frazier has had to take over as the point guard. He had to figure out how to feed All-American center Kofi Cockburn, the Big Ten’s most prolific three-point shooter in Alfonso Plummer, along with Grandison and occasionally Da’Monte Williams as well.
“I know the X’s and O’s of this,” Frazier said. “I try to go out there and always the right way. Sometimes, I try to be too much of a point guard sometimes, always getting my teammates involved. Getting Plummer shots, getting the ball to Kofi, Jake, Da’Monte and I shy away from knowing that I can also score.”
Against Michigan, it all led to Frazier finishing with 17 points on 6-for-11 shooting, with three triples to go along with three assists and zero turnovers while in his 38 minutes of playing time.
“I thought Trent was the right amount of aggressive tonight,” Underwood said of his play vs. the Wolverines. “I thought Trent was great, and I like that balance. … I mean we tried to get him really going early and told him he needed to be aggressive. Getting him off to a good start was important. We ran the first play of the second half to get him going as well. (We wanted him to) make a decision and not just pass and give it up.”
The Illini have two regular season games left – Thursday vs. Penn State and Sunday vs. Iowa – and they’re still alive in the Big Ten Championship race along with Wisconsin and Purdue, who play on Tuesday in Madison.
Even if the Illini aren’t able to win the Big Ten, they finally have an answer to who is going to be the one getting the opportunity to make a play with the clock winding in March.
“Trent,” Underwood said. “It’s hard to describe a guy you have total trust in and know that he’s going to make the right play and he has the right feel for what he’s doing.”
