Tulane’s Melvin Frazier garners All-AAC Men’s Basketball Second Team honors

NEW ORLEANS – Tulane men’s basketball junior guard Melvin Frazier has been chosen as a 2018 All-American Athletic Conference Second Team selection according to an announcement by the league office on Monday.

“Melvin is very deserving of this award,” head coach Mike Dunleavy, Sr., said. “He’s a two-way player, our best defender and a stopper. He guards multiple positions, and offensively, became our leading scorer this year after a lot of hard, individual work. The numbers speak for themselves. He hade great improvements with his shot, but also in his scoring, and the combination of all the above makes him much deserving of this honor.”

Frazier finished the regular season tops among all players in the conference in steals (63), second in steals per game (2.2), third in field goal percentage (.558), fourth in points per game (15.9), fifth in average minutes (34.4) and 11th in rebounding (5.6). He needs just 18 points to reach 1,000 for his career, as his 63 steals this year are tied for sixth most in a single season in program history.

The Avondale, La., native has scored at least 20 points 10 times this season and has compiled five double-doubles, while recording multiple steals on 18 occasions, including at least three heists in 13 contests. For Tulane, Frazier has led the the team in scoring a team-leading 15 times and has more double-figure scoring performances more than any other Green Wave player with 25. With the ball in his hands, he has topped all teammates in assists 11 times, which is tied for the team lead.

Against some of the nation’s top teams, the 6’6 swingman has played some of his best basketball, scoring 27 points with five assists at No. 13 North Carolina on December 3, before pouring in 22 second-half points with 11 rebounds at No. 13 Wichita State on Feb. 21.

Frazier’s recognition has come from a variety of places all season, as he was named American Athletic Conference Player of the Week on Nov. 20, just a day after being voted Most Valuable Player at the 2017 Jamaica Classic in Montego Bay. The Louisiana Sports Writers Association (LSWA) tabbed him Player of the Month for November, while being listed on The American’s weekly honor roll twice.

Seeded 10th in the 2018 American Athletic Conference Championship, Tulane (14-16, 5-13 AAC) will remain in Orlando to take on the No. 7 seed, Temple (16-14, 8-10 AAC), in the first round on Thursday, March 8 at the Amway Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. (CT) and the game will be televised nationally on ESPNU.

All-Conference First Team
Gary Clark, F, Cincinnati*
Jacob Evans III, G/F, Cincinnati
Rob Gray, G, Houston
Shaquille Morris, C, Wichita State
Landry Shamet, G, Wichita State

*denotes unanimous selection

All-Conference Second Team
Jalen Adams, G, UConn
Junior Etou, F, Tulsa
Melvin Frazier, G, Tulane
Jeremiah Martin, G, Memphis
Shake Milton, G, SMU

Honorable Mentions
A.J. Davis, F, UCF
Quinton Rose, G/F, Temple
Kyle Washington, F, Cincinnati

All-Rookie Team
Ethan Chargois, SMU
David Collins, USF
Nate Pierre-Louis, Temple
Fabian White, Houston
Shawn Williams, ECU*

*denotes unanimous selection