WELLINGTON – Leonty Frazier wants to extend his basketball career.
With a successful run during his high school days at Wellington, the 5-foot-10, 140-pound shooting guard proved to be a leader for one of Palm Beach County’s most successful teams. He helped the Wolverines earn a 21-7 record in the 2019-2020 season, with a run to the District 10-7A finals and an appearance in the Class 7A playoffs.
For Frazier, his best game was against Atlantic in Wellington’s senior night, when he scored 11 points and added four assists in a 59-52 win.
“I had a good season with my guys,” said Frazier, who helped Wellington reach the state finals in his junior year. “I came into my senior year with a chip on my shoulder because I had some big shoes to fill.”
Wellington head coach Matt Colin has been influential in Frazier’s success.
“Matt Colin is one of the best coaches out there,” said Frazier, who averaged 4 points, 1 assist, and 0.7 rebounds per game. “He worked us hard every day in practice. I feel like he’s the best coach in Palm Beach hands down. He made me a better player on and off the court. He made me a better man as well.”
All of this has parlayed into a possible opportunity at UCF.
Frazier said he will do what is necessary for a walk-on spot with the Knights. But regardless of how it turns out, the most important thing for his is earning a college degree in sports management.
“The reason I chose UCF is because I felt like that was the best fit for me and my education,” Frazier said. “Also, I like the culture and environment. I think I would gain a lot of different types of skills that I didn’t learn before. I would learn more about management, finance, marketing, and law related to the sports industry. I want to be an athletic administrator.”
With that said, Frazier’s transition from high school basketball to college has been challenging, to say the least.
The current coronavirus pandemic forced Frazier to graduate from Wellington High School in a virtual setting. He, along with everyone else from the Class of 2020, missed out on many of the high school senior activities that normally take place.
“It was crazy,” he said. “The pandemic affected me in a lot of ways because I couldn’t do everything I wanted to for my senior year. I had a lot planned for my senior year after basketball season, like my senior prom, grad bash, and a trip to Miami with my friends.”
Now with high school behind him, Frazier is focused on his future. He is determined to let nothing stop him from achieving his dreams.
“I want to maintain a 3.0 GPA in college and get my degree,” he said. “And after that, I want to eventually put my mom and dad in a position to not work any more. I’m trying to put Boynton Beach on the map. I always rep my city.”
PHOTO CREDITS: Morgan Waters
