John Carroll men's basketball gets first competition at summer league
Jul. 13—Luke Frazier is sporting a mustache these days.
The Lake Catholic grad calls it his Maverick 'stache, as in "Top Gun: Maverick."
Frazier has his characters mixed up, but that's fine. Maverick, played by Tom Cruise, is clean-shaven in the film. Miles Teller — who in the film plays the son of the famed character Goose from the iconic 1986 original "Top Gun" — goes by the name Rooster in the sequel and sports the mustache. Frazier bears a bit of a resemblance with Teller, and he's seems fine with that, too.
"After watching Top Gun (Maverick), I've been very motivated. It helps," said Frazier of his 'stache — with a smile.
Hey, whatever it takes for the John Carroll men's basketball team this season.
There's no denying "Top Gun: Maverick" is the smash-hit movie of the summer, even if few expected that success. The film's release was delayed for more than three years because of COVID-19. Buzz was building leading up to the late-May release but other than nostalgia few could have predicted a box office bonanza. It's Cruise's first-ever film to make $1 billion.
On a much, much, much smaller scale, there might be some parallels to the JCU men's basketball team as it heads into the 2022-23 season — especially with Frazier and others leading the way. There is no doubt the buzz is building around the Blue Streaks.
An influx of area talent transferred into the program in the offseason, and JCU will have a much different look this winter. Still, there are questions about this collection of Division I players and the others already in the program and what to expect. The biggest is will the Blue Streaks be the smash hit of 2022-23 in the Ohio Athletic Conference?
There was a hint of evidence on July 11 in Strongsville, where a college summer league began. JCU split its roster into two teams — one of players from the east side, the other of west siders.
The east side group consisted of the likes of Luke Chicone of Mentor, Jerry Higgins of VASJ, Luka Eller of Lake Catholic, the mustache-sporting Frazier and others.
The JCU east siders took on Baldwin Wallace in its summer league opener and cruised to a 70-58 victory. At one point, the score was 64-44. Chicone, Higgins and Frazier were the main cogs while Eller sat out the game nursing a sprained ankle.
.@j_higgins6 of @JCUMensHoops on playing as a unit with his new teammates for the first time at a summer league in Strongsville July 11. The @VASJVikingsAD product is one of several key transfers for JCU this season. @NHPreps pic.twitter.com/nmhW6E99kc
— Mark Podolski (@mpodo) July 13, 2022
Higgins is the oldest player on JCU's roster. He spent the last four years at Division I The Citadel, where he graduated with a biology degree in May. At JCU, he will be a graduate assistant in the school's biology department, and his career goal is to become an orthopedic doctor. At VASJ, he carried a 4.4 grade-point average. He has two years of eligibility remaining, and can't wait to play more basketball.
The work to bring this collection together during the Strongsville Summer League continues, according to Higgins — the 2017 News-Herald boys basketball player of the year.
"I knew when all these players were committing, no matter what we had done in the past, we're going to have to put our egos aside and go to work," said Higgins after the BW game July 11. "Everyone can say about how good we can be. If we don't go out and produce, it doesn't mean anything."
The foursome of Higgins, Chicone, Frazier and Eller is a nucleus of transfers ready to hit the court and help Coach Pete Moran and his staff do an about-face on last season's last-place finish in the OAC.
The game vs. BW was JCU's first look opposite a different opponent other than itself. For the past month, the Blue Streaks have been after each other during open-gym games — with the winner the first to reach 120 points.
"That first month (of open gym) helped extremely," said Chicone, the 2019 News-Herald Clark Kellogg Award winner. "That was huge for us. Now we just have to put it together."
Following the win over BW, Frazier said he enjoyed the time on the court with his new teammates and creating a team chemistry he expects to get stronger heading into the fall and beyond.
"Our expectations are always high, no matter if it's open gym or against another team," said Frazier. "Everyone here is unselfish and everyone here will do whatever it takes to win."
The Blue Streaks' first practice is Oct. 15. Two weeks later, they play Case Western Reserve in an Oct. 29 scrimmage. Less than two weeks after that, the season opener is Nov. 12 at home against Wittenberg in the John Carroll Tip-Off Tournament.
"Everyone should expect a fun basketball environment and expect to watch basketball played the right way," said Frazier.
2022-23 JCU men's basketball schedule
Nov. 12 x-Wittenberg, 7
Nov. 13 x-Ohio Wesleyan, 2
Nov. 18 at Wheaton (Ill.) Tournament TBA
Nov. 19 at Wheaton (Ill.) Tournament TBA
Nov. 23 Fredonia State, 2
Dec. 3 Muskingum, 2
Dec. 7 Mount Union, 7
Dec. 10 at Capital, 2
Dec. 17 at Marietta, 2
Dec. 29 at Naples (Fla.) Classic TBA
Dec. 30 at Naples (Fla.) Classic TBA
Jan. 4 at Heidelberg, 7
Jan. 7 Ohio Northern, 2
Jan. 11 Otterbein, 7
Jan. 14 Wilmington, 2
Jan. 18 at Baldwin Wallace, 7
Jan. 21 at Muskingum, 2
Jan. 25 at Mount Union, 7
Jan. 28 Capital, 2
Feb. 1 Heidelberg, 7
Feb. 4 Marietta, 2
Feb. 8 at Otterbein, 7
Feb. 11 at Ohio Northern, 2
Feb. 15 Balwin Wallace, 7
Feb. 18 at Wilmington, 2
x-John Carroll University Tip-Off Tournament
