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One Penn State fan’s holiday request? Tim Frazier getting back to full strength

Tim Frazier

In the second year of the Patrick Chambers era at Penn State, not too much was expected of the Nittany Lions given their overall youth. But Penn State did have a valuable asset in senior point guard Tim Frazier, a first team All-Big Ten selection as a junior.

Unfortunately for Frazier and the Nittany Lions his season came to a screeching halt in a loss to Akron at the Puerto Rico Tip-Off in November, as he ruptured his left Achilles tendon.

As he played just four games this season, the chances of Frazier receiving a medical redshirt look to be pretty good given the NCAA’s 30% rule (a player who doesn’t play in more than 30% of his team’s games is eligible for a medical hardship waiver).

With this being the time of year that children send letters to Santa Claus, one 8-year old Penn State fan had a simple request for Santa according to Ben Jones of StateCollege.com: that Frazier would get back to full strength and be able to return to the court.

Mackenzie Kelley, who has been attending Penn State games since she was 2 years old, met Frazier three years ago and even wears a custom “Timmy time” T-shirt to games.

Here’s the letter Kelley sent to St. Nick:

Dear Santa,

I just found out my favorite player for Penn State basketball and my friend Tim Frazier has to have surgery and will not be able to play all this year. I am sad. Not being able to play for the rest of the season will be like an eternity for Tim, and this is his senior year to play basketball, but he might be able to play next year as a redshirt. Santa, all I would like for Christmas is Tim Frazier to be able to play basketball for his last year. Santa, I know that you can’t make his leg better. The doctors need to do that and Tim needs to be patient and listen to the doctors to get his leg strong again. I am asking you please put in a good word with the people who decide if Tim can redshirt next year. Santa, Tim should definitely be on your good list, please put in a good word for him so I can watch him play his senior year the way he deserves.

Your sad little elf,

Mackenzie Kelley


Kelley could have done what most children do and penned a letter asking for the latest toy on the market, but instead she asked for something that would benefit Frazier as well as herself.

Here’s to hoping that Mackenzie (and Penn State fans as well) gets her wish.

Raphielle also writes for the NBE Basketball Report and can be followed on Twitter at @raphiellej.