Nicholls State University men’s basketball junior forward Ja’Dante’ Frye is eager to finish off another season with the colonels while pursuing his passion for basketball.
Frye was born May 28, 1994, in Thibodaux, Louisiana. He is the son of Renee and Johnell Frye and older brother of Ty’Jonae Frye. Frye is majoring in interdisciplinary studies with a minor in marketing and plans on playing basketball overseas.

Frye attended E.D White Catholic High School where he started for three years on the varsity basketball team. He received titles such as First Team All District, First Team All Region, All State Honorable Mention and held the highest scoring title at E.D White.
Frye played football in high school as well, but his desire has always been to pursue basketball, which he has played for 14 years. Frye played for the Amateur Athletic Union with teams such as the Louisiana Eagles from Houma, La. and the Bayou Flames from Baton Rouge, La.

“My passion has always been with basketball. I stuck with basketball rather than football because I thought I had a better future in it,” said Frye.

Frye currently averages 10 points and 5 rebounds per game. He led Nicholls to a victory over the University of Central Arkansas with a career high of 19 points and 10 rebounds.
Frye had potential scholarships to schools such as the University of Loyola, Centenary College of Louisiana and Millsaps College, but he decided to stay in his hometown to pursue his dream.

Frye finds being a student athlete to be hard to cope with.

“It’s very difficult being a student athlete. We travel a lot and we have to do make up assignments because we get backed up traveling on the road,” Frye said.

To become a better athlete, Frye said he has to learn from his mistakes. By learning and correcting mistakes from losses over the semester, Frye hopes the Colonels will get better day-by-day.

“I love basketball because I have a passion for it. It gives me a sensation that I can’t get from anything else. I love the challenges that I have to meet everyday, and I set goals for myself. I see improvement, and it makes me feel good knowing that I worked hard for what I wanted,” Frye said.

Playing basketball not only helps him engage in his passion, but it also helps him with life skills.

“Basketball helps me work with my ethics. It motivates me to keep my grades up and to make good decisions in life because I don’t want anything hindering me from playing the game that I love. The game of basketball on and off the court gives me life lessons that I can take with me for the rest of my life,” said Frye.