After a year apart, GCU sophomore forward Oscar Frayer and freshman point guard Damari Milstead are together once again. Frayer and Milstead were high school teammates for 3 seasons at Moreau Catholic in Hayward, California, which is located about 10 miles south of Oakland. The pair helped lead the Bay area program to the CIF state championship game in 2014, and Milstead led the Mariners to another CIF state runner-up finish last year.
“I loved every bit of my time there. Great crowds, a lot of fun. We were top 10 in the country at one point as well.” Frayer said. “It was electric, a lot of fun, a great atmosphere. Oscar is a good flyer so there was a lot of good connections going on.” Milstead said.
Moreau Catholic head coach Frank Knight adds, “they are the two most competitive people I have been around.They both have chips on their shoulders and like to win. They complement each other well. Damari likes to share the ball and Oscar can jump out of the gym.”
The two grew up playing AAU basketball together, and have known each other since Frayer and Milstead were 9 and 8 years old respectively. Frayer is excited to be reunited with his running mate. “That’s my little brother, so at the end of the day that’s all that I really care about. Our chemistry is really good on and off the court. Damari has always been a good kid. I love the fact that he is willing to get better. I see him in the gym every day and he wants to prosper. I love his passing and how he works hard and doesn’t take a possession off.” It wasn’t a slam dunk decision that Milstead would follow Frayer to Phoenix. “I knew about GCU because of Oscar’s recruitment. GCU wasn’t really on me during high school, but then during the summer Coach Majerle came to my school, came to my house, and we just hit it off. From there, I took an official visit and Oscar showed me around and I committed during the official visit. It’s good to have somebody you have known for a while at college. We vibe on and off the court, so that’s also really good.”
Since Oscar came to Grand Canyon University, Knight says applications from Moreau Catholic students to GCU has quadrupled as the school’s brand continues to grow. Frayer has had a huge impact on the Antelopes basketball team as well.
“He’s done a great job. He had a terrific freshman year starting most of the season. He came in and we asked him to do a lot. He really found his game in the later half of the year. Rebounding, slashing, being a defender. This year he has really focused on being a good defender. He’s probably the best defender in the starting group. He has really worked on his shot, so he can really shoot it, and he is so athletic that when he can shoot the ball and they have to guard him out there, it makes him even more potent going to the basket. I am really happy for Oscar. He has worked hard. He has a great mentality. He never plays afraid. He has bought into what we are trying to do. He is one of our vocal leaders. He has had a great year so far.” GCU head coach Dan Majerle said.
For Milstead, his future looks bright. “It has been tough for Damari because he has two senior guards ahead of him, but he has been working extremely hard. He just turned 18 years old, so he is a young freshman. He has been working on his shot. We already changed his shot. He is strong and what I like about him is that he is a worker and a winner. He’s a good defender, so his time will come. I am very excited about his future at GCU. He just needs to keep working hard and when his number is called just go out and play.” Majerle said.
