It’s a cold February night in Cleveland, Ohio. The regular season is winding down and players are starting to think about the post season. However, for one player, he is totally focused on the present. As his Lake Catholic team runs out onto the floor for their huge match up against Holy Name, there is a lot on the line. This isn’t just for bragging rights, but also momentum going into the post-season. Luke Frazier stepped onto the court that night ready to play. So, what did he do? He balled out. A career high 37 points and, more importantly, a win for Lake Catholic over Holy Name.

Growing up, Luke was always around the game of basketball. As the son of a high school basketball coach, he spent countless hours in the gym with his dad. As he remembered those days, he talked about the times where he got to jump in and do drills with the team in practice or play against some of the guys. This experience helped build a foundation for Luke. That foundation would prove to be vital as he continued to progress with the game.

Luke was always athletic. He is quick to credit that to his mom. She played basketball at the Division III level. While Luke might give all the credit to his mom, his dad was quite the athlete himself. In college, he played both football and baseball at the Division III level. Luke does give his dad credit for giving him a high basketball IQ. Coming from a family of elite athletes who played at a high level, one could say that for Luke it is just in the DNA.

As Luke continued to grow and develop, his dad noticed something special in him. So, in sixth grade, his dad decided to step down as a high school coach to focus on Luke and his game. At the time, Luke was devasted because, as he said, “It meant that I couldn’t go to the games with him coaching.” However, as he looked back on it, he realizes the selfless sacrifice that his father had made. That commitment to Luke and his game led to many late nights and long drives to and from tournaments. This continued into high school for Luke and his family.

In high school, Luke continued to work on his game. During his freshman year, he got to work with his dad when he was an assistant coach for Lake Catholic. However, Luke’s dad realized he preferred to be on the other side. So, after his freshman year, he went back to just working with Luke. Luke and his dad would train together, watch games together, and work on improving his basketball IQ.

Luke is the first to admit that, while he was working hard on his craft, it took a late growth spurt to really propel him forward. After growing over five inches from his freshman year to his junior year, he started to change his game. He went from a straight shooter to more of a blend of driving to the rim and shooting. This allowed him to get a lot more looks from Division I schools. However, it wasn’t until the summer between his junior and senior year that he received an offer from the University of Dayton.

The offer from the Flyers didn’t come easy. It wasn’t until after a big-time performance during an AAU tournament in Dallas that the coaches saw what they needed to see. Upon returning to Ohio, Coach Grant and Coach Solomon drove up to Cleveland and, in person, extended an offer to Frazier. This was a dream offer for Luke. However, he wanted to wait until after his AAU season. That quickly changed after his unofficial visit in June. The visit helped seal the deal and, when he got home, he committed. As Frazier put it, “I got there and saw the culture and their facilities and how basketball is such a big deal. I could just feel it was the best option. I talk with the coaching staff a lot and can’t wait to get down there. The community is unbelievable.”

For Luke, he remains humble in the midst of his success. He is quick to say that his best thing about him isn’t anything related to basketball. Rather, he says that his sense of humor is his best attribute. A sense of humor that he credits to his none other than his dad. When asked about what he felt one of best attribute on the court was, he talked about his confidence. He says, “You just have to go in knowing that you are going to do well. I am going to play my best and no one is going to stop me.”

That confidence is what helped propel Luke on that cold February night. That confidence is what has Luke feeling like he is going to be able to come in and contribute to the Flyers right away. That confidence is what is going to make Luke Frazier a great teammate. And you might ask, where does Luke get that confidence from? He doesn’t know, it must just be in the DNA.

The Flight is a weekly series that highlights the incredible stories of our student athletes on our Men's and Women's Basketball teams. Be on the lookout for new stories every Thursday and Friday throughout the summer.

Story and Graphics by: Ryan Phillips, Marketing and Digital Strategy Coordinator Dayton Flyer Athletics