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2013 Dallas-area boys basketball player of the year: Keith Frazier did it all for Kimball this season

It was the height of respect for a shooter.

In the second half of Kimball’s Class 4A state semifinal win, San Antonio Brennan already had first-hand knowledge of the prodigious range of senior guard Keith Frazier. So while the rest of the Brennan defense sagged behind the 3-point arc, Frazier’s defender picked him up near midcourt — trying to keep a hand in his face from 30 feet out.

It didn’t matter. The 6-5 Frazier hit two deep 3s in the quarter, staving off a third-quarter run by Brennan and sending Kimball to its third final in three seasons.

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But Frazier’s role for the 4A state runner-up wasn’t just that of spot-up shooter. SportsDay’s player of the year was a jack-of-all-trades for Kimball, which won back-to-back titles in 2011 and 2012 before falling in this year’s final to Rosenberg Terry.

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A transfer from Irving after his sophomore season, Frazier could be the primary ball handler, battle down low for rebounds or make the key assist.

He showed all of those skills in Kimball’s win over Arlington Seguin in the regional final, where Frazier embossed his legend by coming back from an elbow to his face to rally his team in the final minutes.

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“We feel like we have the best player in Class 4A,” Kimball coach Snoop Johnson said at the time. “We’re going to put the ball in his hands.”

While that pressure might have been too much for some, Frazier embraced the challenge without hesitation — as one might expect from the McDonald’s All-American.

“Why wouldn’t I feel like I can lead us to state and we can win?” Frazier said at the season’s start. “If it’s on my back, it’s on my back.”

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Stats: Averaged 23.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 6.3 assists, shooting 42 percent from 3-point range.

Did you know? A top 25 recruit nationally in the Class of 2013, Frazier is expected to announce his college choice March 28, choosing from among Texas A&M, SMU, Texas Tech and Auburn.

Follow Corbett Smith on Twitter at @corbettsmithDMN.