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By Joseph Staszewski
Brooklyn Daily
Brianna Fraser couldn’t wait to pick a college.
The 6-foot-3 South Shore forward is in her junior year, but had little doubt where she wanted to go at the end of her high school career. Fraser verbally committed to play women’s basketball at Maryland last week. She picked the Terrapins over Georgia Tech and St. John’s.
“Maryland is a good school, so why keep them waiting?” Fraser said. “I wanted to commit right now instead of waiting.”
It meant a lot to her and her family that Maryland head coach Brenda Frese took a personal interest in her recruitment. South Shore coach Anwar Gladden said Frese did an excellent job keeping in touch with Fraser and developed a strong bond with her.
“She’s a very funny person,” Fraser said of Frese. “She’s honest.”
Fraser will be joining one of the nation’s top programs. Maryland, which plays in the elite Atlantic Coast Conference, is consistently in the national rankings and reached its fifth Sweet 16 under Frese last season. Fraser said they want to have her split time between small and power forward, giving her a chance to play on the wing. Maryland has done well developing long players like Fraser in two-time conference player-of-the-year Alyssa Thomas and Tianna Hawkins of the Seattle Storm.
“I think it’s a great fit,” Gladden said. “She fits their type of players — long, athletic type of kids.
In Fraser, the Terrapins get one of the city’s best and most versatile forwards. She averaged 13 points and seven rebounds last season playing alongside senior point Aurellia Cammock. She can score inside, knock down the jumper and change shots on the defensive end. Gladden thinks we are only seeing a small glimpse of what Fraser is capable of.
“There is a lot of potential,” the coach said. “She’s good and then she shows you flashes of the other things she can do. And you’re sitting there and you are just in astonishment, and saying to yourself ‘when this kid puts it all together it’s going to be incredible.’ ”
Fraser is happy she’s now free to concentrate on realizing that promise, and helping to win South Shore an elusive city championship.
“Now I can focus on the next two years and getting better and getting ready for college,” Fraser said.