Senior forward Byron Frohnen has been an integral player for the UTSA men’s basketball team since his arrival in 2016. Coming from Las Vegas, Nevada, Frohnen has been playing basketball since he was young.
“I have been playing for as long as I can remember,” Frohnen said. “Basketball was the most fun. Other sports growing up were only in season, and I could play basketball year-round.”
As a mechanical engineering major, Frohnen has balanced his schoolwork with athletics, but he looks to the future with two semesters left before he graduates.
“I am hoping to get an internship this upcoming summer now that I will be done with basketball, so hopefully I can get an internship and figure out what type of engineering I’m into,” Frohnen said. “I’m planning on getting an internship in San Antonio or Dallas. I want to stay in Texas.”
In his junior season, Frohnen led the team in rebounds and started in all 32 games of the season. He has played the ninth most minutes of any player in college basketball entering the 2019-2020 season.
“I like the city of San Antonio,” Frohnen said. “I love it here. The coaching staff is great; they are very friendly. They know what they are doing, and when I visited the school, I really liked it.”
After signing with UTSA, Frohnen has recorded over 100 starts in his career as a Roadrunner.
“UTSA was my only offer,” Frohnen said. “They were the only ones recruiting me super hard, and I enjoyed it. I liked and respected them, so I went with it.”
Averaging 27 minutes this season, Frohnen focuses on his game while finding pastimes that keep him relaxed on and off the court.
“I like to be relaxed,” Frohnen said. “I don’t like to focus on the game too much, so I try to keep my mind on other stuff. When it’s game time, I’ll lock in, but I like to be loose.”
Frohnen made history with the ‘Runners in 2017, and he plans on continuing this trend with his goals for this season.
“My ultimate goal has always been to go to March Madness, and we haven’t been able to do that yet, so I’m hoping this is the year,” Frohnen said. “Going to the conference tournament, especially my sophomore year, at the tournament we upset a team, and beating Western Kentucky was pretty fun. It was actually the first time UTSA won a game at the conference tournament.”
Frohnen’s favorite part about competing for UTSA is the relationships he has made with his teammates; he values the team’s cohesiveness and the bonds he builds with his team.
With only two seniors suiting up for the ‘Runners, Frohnen is looked to as a leader this season.
“I am a senior now, and with guys like Nick Allen gone, they expect me to step up vocally and on the court, so I have to go out there and give it 100% each and every play,” Frohnen said. “I like to lead more by example, not as much as with my voice.”
Concluding his final season, Frohnen reflects on the lessons he has learned from playing basketball and the takeaways of his career as a ‘Runner.
“Playing basketball and being able to travel the world, I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” Frohnen said. “It’s a ton of fun, and it gives you great experiences. It has shaped me into who I am now.”
