ORLANDO, Fla. – Ben Fratrik knows excellence. He coached current NBA rookie Brice Sensabaugh at Lake Highland Prep in Orlando a little more than a year ago.
“He was a uniquely gifted player,” said Fratrik, the Head Boys Basketball Coach at Lake Highland Prep. “But on top of that, he was also incredibly driven.”
The 6-foot-6-inch Sensabaugh earned the Florida Mr. Basketball award as a senior at Lake Highland Prep after scoring more than 25 points per game in his final year on campus.
“He made me a better coach, and I hope I’m able to coach the next batch of kids because I learned so much coaching a kid that talented,” Fratrik said.
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Following his days at LHP, Sensabaugh moved on to Ohio State, where he made the Big Ten’s All-Freshman team in his lone season in Columbus. It turned out player taught coach a thing or two about confidence.
“He said to me, ‘Coach, I’m the best player here,’” Fratrik remembered from an early conversation he had with Sensabaugh at Ohio State. “He was supremely confident, but not in an overly cocky way.”
Following his time at Ohio State, Sensabaugh entered his name into the 2023 NBA Draft last month. The Utah Jazz selected him with the 28th overall pick in the first round. Getting drafted is a big deal for any elite prospect, but Fratrik feels the timing of the selection may be perceived as a bit of a slight for Sensabaugh.
“I do think he files that stuff away a little bit and uses it as motivation,” Fratrik said.
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