Jimmer Fredette at TBT Tournament 2018: Schedule, Preview for Semifinal Matchup

Jimmer Fredette mania is alive and well seven years after he was drilling three-pointers for the BYU Cougars.

While Fredette, who was the No. 10 overall pick in the 2011 draft, is no longer in the NBA, he still has an opportunity for part of the $2 million prize awaiting the winning team of the 2018 edition of The Basketball Tournament.

Team Fredette is one of four remaining squads in the 64-team, single-elimination tournament that mirrors March Madness at the college level but has the significant payout waiting for the winner. The bracket can be found on the event’s website, and Team Fredette is scheduled to play Eberlein Drive on one side while Overseas Elite plays Golden Eagles on the other.

Here is a look at the semifinal schedule for Fredette’s team:

Matchup: Team Fredette vs. Eberlein Drive

Date: Thursday, Aug. 2

Time: 9 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN

Team Fredette rolled through the Peoria Allstars, Jackson TN Underdawgs, Fort Wayne Champs and the Scarlet and Gray on its way to the semifinals, winning every game by at least eight points and three of the contests by double digits.

The most recent contest, a 22-point win, was notable because Fredette played against a team made up of former Ohio State Buckeyes, some of which went on to the NBA. Greg Oden was the No. 1 pick in the 2007 draft and Jared Sullinger played five seasons for the Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors and turned heads in earlier rounds, but they couldn’t counter Fredette’s squad.

The Scarlet and Gray also had Aaron Craft, William Buford, David Lighty, Jon Diebler and Dallas Lauderdale, who all helped the Buckeyes during a successful stretch that included conference titles and a Final Four appearance.

Craft, in particular, was renowned for his defense, but Fredette finished with 28 points and seven assists in the highly anticipated showdown, flashing the playmaking ability that helped him develop into a star in the Chinese Basketball Association.

Fredette is the star of the show with his outside shooting, ability to penetrate off the dribble and create open shots for his teammates, but he is far from the only notable playmaker on his side. Five players scored in double figures against the Scarlet and Gray, including Brandon Davies and Jack Cooley.

Davies, who also starred at BYU, played 78 games for the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets, while Cooley has played 23 games for the Sacramento Kings and Utah Jazz since playing at Notre Dame.

The team as a whole is an offensive juggernaut with Fredette pulling the strings and has averaged 97.75 points per game in the tournament.

It will face a challenge in Eberlein Drive considering Jerome Randle has put on a show through four games. He scored 19, 18, 29 and 34 points as the go-to playmaker in the offense, helping a squad that hasn’t put up the head-turning stats of Team Fredette.

Eberlein Drive scored fewer than 80 points twice and is yet to score more than 86 and will need more consistent production to keep up with Team Fredette in the semifinals.

While Fredette’s side will reach the finals behind his playmaking abilities and the overall offense, it will have difficulty with the $2 million on the line if Overseas Elite advances as well. Overseas Elite is the three-time defending champions and still rolling after a 12-point win over Ram Nation to reach the semifinals.

Fortunately for Fredette and his teammates, they won’t have to worry about The Basketball Tournament powerhouses until the next round. Look for the offensive production to continue as it clinches a spot in the finals with a win over Eberlein Drive.