For our photo gallery of Chester Frazier's final game at the Assembly Hall, click here
For a bracketologist's take on Thursday's games at the Big Ten tournament, click here
INDIANAPOLIS – As he trudged through the lobby of the team hotel late Thursday, Chester Frazier wore an Illinois letterman's jacket.
One of the sleeves was pulled way down. It covered his right hand. Most times like this, when Illinois fans are buzzing around a hotel lobby, Frazier would be shaking hands and signing autographs with that right hand.
Not this time.
Frazier sustained a broken hand Wednesday at the team's practice facility. He won't play today when second-seeded Illinois meets seventh-seeded Michigan in the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals at Conseco Fieldhouse (5:30 p.m., Big Ten Network).
Multiple sources said Frazier sustained a fracture and underwent surgery Thursday morning before traveling with the team to Indianapolis. He is out for the Big Ten tournament, though Illinois is holding out the slim hope he could return at some point during the NCAA tournament.
More likely, the senior has played his final game at Illinois. UI officials have declined further details on Frazier's status.
"If he was out, I would still approach the game as if he was playing," Michigan star Manny Harris said Thursday. "They've got great players, not just him. Like I said, with them, it's a team effort."
The absence of Frazier, the heart and soul of the Illini, presents numerous but not insurmountable challenges for Illinois (23-8). For the time being, it presents a challenge against Michigan (20-12).
The 6-foot-2 guard usually defends the opponent's best player. In today's case it would have been Harris, a first-team All-Big Ten selection.
"Chester's a great defender on Manny. That would definitely open a few more lanes for Manny (since Frazier is out)," Michigan guard Stu Douglass said. "I'm sure someone else would step up."
Illinois split the season series with Michigan. Harris had 36 points on 13-for-28 shooting in the two meetings.
"I never knew of him slowing me down. His teammates played great defense. But as just him slowing me down, I don't recall that," Harris said. "His teammates played great defense. That's probably how I had droughts where I didn't score some because as a team they're good defenders."
Illinois has played 29 consecutive games with the same starting lineup. Senior Calvin Brock likely will move into the lineup, and the Illini will rotate defenders on Harris.
The injury comes at an awful time for the Illini; continuity helped the team avoid a losing streak until the last two games.
Players at the Big Ten tournament who have experienced an injury to a key player expressed remorse at Frazier's plight.
"It happened to us a lot last year. It's hard," said Penn State guard Talor Battle, whose team last season went through a season-ending injury to forward Jamelle Cornley. "It changes the whole chemistry of a basketball team. He's (Frazier) their leader, he's their backbone, he brings that senior leadership. If he doesn't play, that definitely changes things.
"It was hard for us, we struggled for a while. After five or six games, we realized that we would have to pick up the slack."
Illinois doesn't have five or six games to ease the transition.
The NCAA tournament selection committee takes into account injuries as it puts together the 65-team bracket. The absence of Frazier could affect Illinois' seed in the NCAA tournament, though how much it affects the seed probably could depend on how Illinois plays without him.
"We'll just assume for the moment he's not going to be available for them. It could be just one game they (the selection committee members) see without him," veteran bracketologist Jerry Palm (CollegeRPI.com) said late Thursday. "If they beat Michigan without him, it could be a zero-impact event. If they lose without him, Michigan is a strong enough team where they could beat them (Illinois) with him, so it doesn't tell them much.
"So I don't think it would affect them more than one seed line."
pklee@news-gazette.com
Bad Break for Chet the Jet but he did have an outstanding career now Illinination it's time for the alex legions to step up!
Posted by on March 13, 2009 at 12:10 PM | Suggest Removal
The NCAA should not use injuries as one of its criteria for seeding. Seeding should be based solely on the team's accomplishments. Saying that, with Frazier out, the Illini's chances of doing well in the Big Ten tournament have been diminished. That, in turn, could very well hurt the team's NCAA seeding.
Posted by dgcrow on March 13, 2009 at 4:53 PM | Suggest Removal
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