PHOENIX – After a disappointing 2023-24 season, the Bourgade Catholic boys basketball program is continuing to rebuild while looking to the future of the upcoming season.
Otis Frazier has become a force at Bourgade entering his fourth year as head boys basketball coach. He’s now on campus full-time as an English language arts teacher and also serves on Bourgade’s advisory board.
Frazier, grew up in Gary, Indiana, has more than 20 years of coaching experience. He also played basketball at the collegiate and semi-pro levels and played arena football. His college career included stints at Western Nebraska Community College, Butler University and Chadron State. He was inducted into the Chadron State Hall of Fame in 2017.
“I’m just trying to be a motivator on campus now that I’m here full-time,” Frazier said.
Two years ago, the Golden Eagles made the playoffs, and optimism was high. Then, last season, they went 3-15. “Last year, we had a bunch of guys who transferred out because they thought they were too good to play here,” Frazier explained. “This year’s a rebuild year but it’s coming in with more athletes that are basketball savvy and hungry to play basketball.”
One of those players is freshmen center/power forward Jacob Banja, who found out that basketball was more fun than football after he was sidelined by an injury.
“It’s fun on defense, especially because I’m controlling the paint,” Banja said. “I can block shots, and I can get steals too. On offense, posting up and dunking the ball is also very fun.”
Despite last year’s disappointing season, Frazier has six returning players, making this year’s team really young, and that’s created its own challenges during off-season workouts and pre-season practices. “It’s going somewhat as I thought it would be. The freshmen learning curves, learning what it is to be a high school athlete, they’re going through a lot of ups and downs,” he said.
“There have been times he’s pushed me so hard I wanted to quit, but I can understand why,” Banja said. “I have improved a lot in the past few months because of him, and I’m just grateful for him.”
This season, the Golden Eagles will be playing in the 3A Metro region but will still be facing teams that they’re familiar with, including Northwest Christian and Gilbert Christian. Frazier said the biggest test this season will be their set of games in January. They will be playing five games in an 11-day span. “That’ll indicate a lot as far as how the season is going to go — if we’re a top contender or if we’re a pretender,” Frazier said.
Another big test for the Golden Eagles will be playing in two national tournaments: the Torrey Pines Holiday Classic in San Diego and the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas. These tournaments feature teams from all over the country and include a lot of college coaches, future NBA players, and televised games. “They need to see that type of atmosphere and play in that type of atmosphere to understand what the goal is,” Frazier said. “If they’re really interested in really going to college, this is just a stepping stone of what we’re going to be doing in the future at Bourgade.”
Despite the challenges the boys will face this season, Frazier believes his squad can still make the playoffs, which is one of the goals they have set for the year.
“Although I’m the younger one, I’m still one of the leaders,” Banja said. “The upperclassmen on the team are leading us and motivating us, and I hope they can take us to victory this year.”
Frazier is also looking to change the culture around Bourgade’s campus, getting students, parents, faculty, and alumni more involved to build an atmosphere that will challenge their opponents.
“If you don’t have a culture, it has to start from somewhere,” Frazier said.
This season, Frazier is beginning to add to the game-day atmosphere at Tepsic Gymnasium. With every 3-pointer, free shirts will be thrown into the stands. There will also be a half-court shot contest, and thanks to the generosity of a Bourgade family, there will be a Phoenix Suns ticket raffle benefiting Golden Eagles Basketball. The end goal for Frazier is to get students and alumni back in the stands—pack the building and keep it packed.
“We have so many new freshmen now. They’re eager and hungry because they’re new to campus and if we just drive and push their energy up, and it builds a culture and puts us where we want it to be,” Frazier added.
The Golden Eagles boys basketball season opens at home against Odyssey Institute on Nov. 22. Tipoff is at 7 p.m.