The Mariners’ Guide

Moreau Catholic-Hayward’s gregarious, humble star has the Mariners thinking state title thoughts

By STEPHEN SCOTT | Correspondent
There’s a tattoo on the body of Moreau Catholic High basketball standout Oscar Frayer IV that reads: “If it doesn’t make dollars, it doesn’t make sense.”

It’s something said often by his late father, who died suddenly from a car accident when Frayer was only 7-years-old. Rather than trying to make sense of the tragic event, Frayer has been nothing but money with his young life, say all those who surround him.

From his warm, funny and friendly demeanor to efforts in the classroom — he’s earned a 3.5 grade point average this semester at the Hayward school — to excelling on the basketball court, the long, lean, high-flying 6-foot-6 wing is a young man for young people — and old — to look up to.

Not just on the court, where he committed to Cal as a sophomore before recently opening his recruiting back up in early November, but off of it as well.

“He’s a super humble person,” Moreau Catholic coach Frank Knight said. “When we have CYO kids come to our campus to give demonstrations, Oscar is the first one to greet them and they all gravitate to him.

“He has every reason to have a huge head but he’s so grounded. He such a good kid. That’s why everyone roots for him. He’s easy to root for.”

As a four-star recruit, the leading scorer and rebounder for the Bay Area’s top-ranked team, and an elite defender, Frayer has the potential to make a lot of money playing the game.

Making it to the NBA wasn’t something his dad planted into his only son. His father and mother, Bionca, set examples of more vital lessons like effort and putting your best foot forward. “Never give up,” Frayer said. “Always give your best no matter what.”

The latter definitely applied to his mom, who was left not only with young Oscar to raise, but two older daughters.

“What a great woman,” Frayer said. “A single parent raising three kids? She’s incredible. I don’t have enough words to describe all she has done in my life. My sisters too.”

Knight said he and his coaching staff have had trouble describing some of Frayer’s exploits on the court as well.

Like as a sophomore in the NorCal playoffs at Kezar Pavilion in San Francisco. “He was dribbling through traffic, goes up, gets hit, does a 360 and slams it home,” Knight said. “I just turned to my coaches and said ‘Did that really happen?’”

Frayer, who was one of five starting freshman in the 2012-13 season, has blocked more than one shot at the top of the square on the backboard, according to Knight, who says he has “NBA athleticism.”

“It’s crazy what he can do,” he said.

But because of his humble nature, and the fact the Mariners resembled Michigan’s Fab 5 at the prep level, Frayer never demanded to be the big scorer. Instead, he did his job and continued to polish other phases of his game. As a freshman, he averaged 12.9 points, 7.9 rebounds and 4.0 blocks, leading the state among ninth graders in the latter category. The following year, those numbers progressed to 14.1, 10.1 and 3.7. Last year, as his perimeter skills flourished, he averaged 17.1, 8.4 and 1.9. He’s also averaged a healthy 2.5 steals per game in his career.

“He’s improved steadily every year in all facets,” Knight said. “That’s impressive, because he was very good when he got here.”

Since then, he’s added about 35 pounds and grown into a wiry 205-pound frame. His outside shooting has been the most noticeable improvement. He made 11 3-pointers his first two seasons combined, but increased that to 40 last year.

That number could double his senior season, which opens at the Prep2Prep Tipoff Classic on Nov. 28 in Newark against one of the nation’s top five teams, Sierra Canyon-Chatsworth. The defending state Division V champs — the Trailblazers were ridiculously left off SoCal’s Open Division — features five five-star players, including 6-8 front-liners Ira Lee and Cody Riley, and guards Remy Martin and Devearl Ramsey.

Moreau, meanwhile, has a five-star junior point guard in Damari Milstead and other fourth-year starters in Brandon Lawrence, Terrell Brown and Armond Simmons. The Mariners have won a combined 68 games the last three seasons, the Trailblazers 70.

As freshmen, Frayer’s squad went 18-10, the same year Sierra Canyon went 17-11.

“It’s definitely a marquee matchup for both teams,” Frayer said. “We’ve seen it all over the last three years so we definitely won’t be intimidated. It will be a chance for both teams to get better.”

And for Frayer to show his skills, which are many says the event’s founder and organizer Gerry Freitas, a former college coach and one of the West Coast’s premier scouts.

“Oscar Frayer is an elite athlete with a very high ceiling,” he said. “He makes athletic plays that most players simply are not capable of. … He has the work ethic needed to become an impact wing in college.”

Which could lead to making a lot of money after that. It only makes sense, says Knight.

“I wouldn’t put anything beyond Oscar Frayer,” he said. “There’s no shot he can’t block and no goal he can’t reach.”