RING CHASER

For some college students, spring time means fun in the sun and time on the beach.

But that’s not Houma native and University of New Orleans senior guard Nate Frye.

For Frye, this spring is about chasing a piece of gold to place on his finger.

Frye is enjoying his senior season with the Privateers – his fourth-straight year contributing for UNO.

The Houma Christian School graduate said he and his teammates are extra motivated in 201617, and it shows. The Privateers are 4-0 in Southland Conference play, and are looking like one of the favorites to occupy the league’s lone bid into the NCAA Tournament this spring.

“As a team, our motto right now is ring chasers,” Frye said. “It started in the summer and has been our anthem until now. We want to take the Southland Conference and advance into the NCAA Tournament and win games while there.”

Frye is doing his part to help the Privateers try and make that goal a reality. He overcame a bumpy road, while getting to his current position of prominence.

Frye has played from day one in New Orleans – one of the most experienced players in the Southland in 2016-17.

But this past offseason was a tough one for the Houma native, because he was faced with some adversity off the basketball floor.

The issue caused him to miss the first eight games of this season.

He said the setback was tough – especially considering that the Privateers struggled in his absence and lost some hard-fought games along the way.

But without the ability to compete in games, Frye said he made sure to use his time wisely.

He said he locked himself into the gym and shot the basketball for hours.

When not in the gym, Frye said he did research in his own time and YouTubed some of the best shooters in the world, looking for clues for how he could refine his shooting technique.

Now back on the floor, that work has paid off.

Frye is shooting 45.5 percent from the field in 2016-17 – up from the 39.5 percent he shot one year ago.

He’s also shooting 45 percent from behind the 3-point line and 87 percent from the foul line – all numbers that easily surpass his shooting stats from one year ago.

“I shot thousands of shots in the offseason, and I ran many, many miles in my off time to make sure my legs would be strong enough to get great lift on my shot,” Frye said. “I did nightly form shooting in my dorm room mirror, and then I’d study the great shooters like J.J. Redick and Kyle Korver and would

observe their foot work and study their approach in taking a shot. So the answer is simply yes. Yes, I worked heavily on my shooting this offseason.”

But the work is part of a bigger, multi-faced motivation, according to Frye – one that’s bigger than championships and all of the successes that come with victories.

Simply put, Frye said he’s playing for Houma, Louisiana.

The senior guard said he uses UNO women’s basketball junior guard Randi Brown as motivation for himself, and he thinks it’s “amazing” what the two of them are doing for Privateers basketball.

Frye said after the season, he wants to play professionally, which helps inspire him to work hard and push himself every day.

But in the back of his mind, Frye said he’s also always inspired because of what he believes he and Brown are doing for the area.

“What Randi is doing is incredible,” Frye said. “I always despised that the Houma area never got much attention when it came to the recruitment of basketball players – not as much as we deserve. We have great athletes in this city, and I think I could speak for Randi when I say that we’re trying to put Houma on the map.”

Of course, getting that coveted ring would help that process, as well, and Frye said he will stop at nothing to make sure that the Privateers leave everything out on the floor for the rest of the season as they attempt to establish themselves as the Southland’s top team.

Frye and the Privateers hope to build on their perfect start in the Southland Conference this week.

They’re taking on Sam Houston State in New Orleans over the weekend – a matchup between two league powers.

“We’re 4-0 in our conference, which is first place,” Frye said. “Soon, we’re going to be ranked in the mid-major Top 25, which is pretty exciting. In my tenure here, this has been the most enjoyable and successful season that I’ve experienced. This is a special team.”

‘Our motto right now is ring chasers. It started in the summer and has been our anthem until now. We want to take the Southland Conference and advance into the NCAA Tournament and win games while there.’

Nate Frye

Houma native, UNO senior guard

Houma Christian School graduate Nate Frye makes a move to the cup during a game with Nicholls State University last season. Frye is a senior at the University of New Orleans, and he’s been a contributing member of the program since he was a true freshman. The Houma native said he hopes to play pro ball once he graduates from the collegiate ranks.

COURTESY

Houma native Nate Frye makes a move to the bucket during a game last season. Frye worked tirelessly on his shooting over the summer and is now a more complete player.

COURTESY