MSU's Frazier out for season
By Ian R. Rapoport
irapopor@clarionledger.com
STARKVILLE — When Winsome Frazier limped off the court against Ole Miss, his Mississippi State teammates prepared for the worst. This afternoon, they got it.
Frazier, the MSU senior shooting guard, is not expected to play for the Bulldogs again, coach Rick Stansbury said before today's practice.
"He's out for the season," Stansbury said. "He's going to have a screw inserted into his foot (Tuesday) morning. He's out."
Stansbury said junior college transfer Jamall Edmondson or sophomore Dietric Slater will replace Frazier in the lineup when MSU travels to Tennessee Wednesday.
The Bulldogs' second leader scoring averaging 14.1 points per game going into the win against the Rebels, Frazier went up to block a Justin Johnson shot and came down limping. He tried to shrug it off, but as he said following the game, "I couldn't walk."
Frazier had X-rays taken at 1 p.m. and walked into the practice complex on crutches today following the trip to the hospital. The 6-foot-4, 180-pound Miami native declined comment. Trainer Scott Johnson also referred comments to Stansbury.
It's not just his offense and 3-point prowess — he scored 30 points against Missouri-Kansas City, for instance — the Bulldogs will miss. Frazier is the SEC's reigning steals leader and was tabbed by several preseason publications as the SEC's best defender.
Now, the Bulldogs expect to go on without him.
"Without him, it's going to be much more difficult," Stansbury said. "You're talking about the second-leading scorer, our best 3-point shooter, best perimeter defender, quickest athlete and toughest guy on the team. We'll miss him but nobody's going to cancel the game for us."
Those reserves are going to have to step it up big time now.
