Feb. 4, 2005
The Nova Notebook, by Villanova director of media relations Mike Sheridan, appears each week beginning in the fall and continues through the basketball season. This week we take a look at forward Jason Fraser.
As he recently watched a tape of Villanova's Jan. 11 game with Providence on the television screen in his Pavilion office, Jay Wright turned to associate head coach Fred Hill.
"It's good to see Jason running around out there like that," he said. On the video were images of Fraser's most complete game as a collegian, when he finished with 25 points and 13 rebounds at the Dunkin Donuts Center.
Of course, that was also the night when a fall near mid-court early in the second half resulted in a fractured navicular bone in the junior's right hand. The injury forced Fraser to the sidelines for four games over a two week period.
Fraser returned to the lineup at Rutgers on Jan. 29, accumulating seven rebounds in 13 minutes. At Connecticut on Feb. 2, the native of Amityville, N.Y. played 24 minutes, contributing five points and five rebounds in an 81-76 loss to the Huskies in Hartford.
"It's just so good to be out there again with my teammates," said Fraser. "I feel blessed to have that opportunity."
Were Fraser inclined to curse his misfortune, no one could fault him. This is, after all, a former McDonald's All-American who has missed 20 games in his `Cat career. What's more, his multiple injuries have meant that he has logged 30 minutes or more in a game only 16 times in 64 games.
Yet Fraser has no time for self-pity.
"Jason is one of the most incredible people I know," Wright stated. "He's a young man of great faith and resiliency. It just amazes me how he has been able to maintain a positive attitude through this at his age.
"It's not easy for a player to be in and out of the lineup as he has been. But when he comes back he is prepared to go."
At the moment the primary issue for Fraser to cope with is the right hand. It was placed in a cast following surgery on Jan. 14 to insert a screw into the fracture. (The screw is added to stabilize the bone and expedite healing). The cast was removed on Jan. 25, one day prior to Villanova's 65-60 win over Notre Dame at the Wachovia Center.
The right hand was wrapped when Villanova defeated Rutgers and lost to Connecticut. At Rutgers there were moments in the game when the hand seemed to limit his productivity, especially at the free throw line where he was 0-of-2. When Fraser emerged with the hand unscathed after the Rutgers game, less tape was applied at Connecticut. The hope is that Fraser will be able to remove the wrap all together in the coming weeks.
"My hand is doing well," Fraser stated. "When I play with it I feel fine."
That he has been able to reintegrate himself into the flow is one part preparation and one part attitude.
"I think I have the ability to focus and learn visually, even if I haven't always been able to physically participate," states Fraser. "During the periods when I have been out of the lineup, I really try to watch everything in practice and in games. That way, when I am out there I will know what we are doing as a team."
There is a phrase that Fraser uses to describe his various physical setbacks, which have included four surgical procedures, including three on his knees.
"We all have our trials and tribulations," he states. "Mine have been with my legs and now the hand. My faith has meant everything to me in dealing with these things."
Wright has nearly run out of superlatives to laud the attitude of a young man who arrived at Villanova on an apparent fast track to glory. He is most appreciative of the fact that Fraser continues to place his team above all else, not concerning himself with how playing in pain might affect others' perceptions of him.
"This latest injury is a perfect example of that," Wright stated. "Jason has worked his way on to the floor so that he can help us with his defense. He has sacrificed his offense in a way because of the hand. Yet he just wants to win and does whatever he can to help us."
For his part, Fraser is focused only on the end result. Right now his aim is to continue building strength in his hand and preparing for the critical games of February and March.
"I feel good," he says with a smile. "It's always great to be out there with my teammates."
In case you missed it, Villanova's Feb. 23 home game with No. 5 Boston College will be televised on ESPN2. The move has necessitated a time change from 7:30 p.m to 9:00 p.m.
The contest takes place at the Pavilion ...
The next "Talking Villanova Basketball with Jay Wright" radio show is scheduled for Feb. 9 at the Great American Pub in Conshohocken, Pa. The show is open to the public. The broadcast airs from 6-7 p.m. on WNTP Radio (990 AM in Philadelphia) and can also be accessed through the audio/video link at villanova.com.
