Jimmer Fredette: Looking to Elevate His Game for BYU Basketball

Jimmer Fredette is focused on becoming a more complete basketball player in his final season at BYU.

For one thing, he has stated that he is committed to getting his teammates more involved offensively this year.

In the first game of the season against Fresno State, Jimmer dished out eight assists to go with his game-high 24 points and eight rebounds.

Last season Fredette average 4.7 assists per game to go along with his 22.1 points.

If Fredette is successful in becoming a more proficient ball distributor, it spells very bad news for Cougar opponents.

If there has been a criticism of Fredette’s play on offense in the past, it is the fact that he sometimes forces things with the ball in his hands and ends up out of control, taking a bad shot or turning the ball over.

This year, everybody’s preseason All-American guard will be the focus of every opponent’s defensive effort. They know full well that Jimmer can go off for 30 or 40 points on any given night and take over a game almost at will.

Like never before, teams will be game planning for ways to slow Jimmer down.

Very few players in the college game can match up with Jimmer’s unique abilities and style of play one-on-one. Add to that fact that he has the ability to both stretch and penetrate zone defenses, and you can see why there should be plenty of opportunities for open teammates if he looks for them.

And the Cougars do have plenty of weapons to employ off of Fredette’s play.

Backcourt running mate Jackson Emery led BYU in three-point buckets last year, while Charles Abouo appears to be set to take his offensive game to the next level after gaining experience and confidence from playing this offseason in the FIBA World Championships.

Inside, Fredette has the services of Brandon Davies, who is a gifted offensive player around the rim, while forward Noah Hartsock showed his ability to put the ball in the hole with his 21 points against Fresno State.

Then there is the developing duo of the Collinsworth brothers, 6'9" returned missionary Chris, whose body has really matured during his mission, and younger brother and true freshman Kyle, who appears early on to be a special talent and a player that possesses point guard skills in a 6-6 body.

BYU will become even more dangerous offensively if junior college transfer Stephen Rogers finds his range from the outside. The 6'8" Rogers made 85 treys and shot 43 percent from the arc last season at Mesa Community College.

Not only does Fredette want to improve his game as an assist man to help out his team, but it’s important to the future of his basketball career as well. Fredette appears to be a potential first-round draft choice in next summer’s NBA draft.

In order for Fredette to succeed at the next level, some feel he will need to develop his ability to distribute the basketball, and NBA franchises will be watching his progress with considerable interest.

Utah State ventures into Provo

One team that slowed Fredette down some last year was Utah State. The Aggies make their first appearance in Marriott Center since 2006 on Wednesday night in a big in-state showdown.

USU defeated the Cougars by 10 in Logan in last year’s contest and held them to just 61 points. Jimmer shot just 25 percent from the field in that game and was made to work very hard for his 19 points.

Expect Jimmer to have a much better game this time around, especially since USU guard Pooh Williams is struggling with a leg injury and may not be able to go. William’s defense was credited for much of Fredette’s struggles in last year’s game.

The Cougars’ attention will be on Aggie forward Tai Wesley, who is one of the premier front court players in the West, and junior college transfer point guard Brockeith Pane, who lit up Weber State for 23 points in his first game as an Aggie.

In one interesting note, only one Aggie has ever experienced playing in a game in the Marriott Center, that being forward Morgan Grim, who is a transfer from Utah.

The rest of the Aggies will get their first taste of playing this rivalry game in one of the toughest venues in college basketball.