School's out for Jimmer Fredette: 5 Ways to Spend Summer Vacation

Contrary to the latest chatter, BYU never requested that its resident rock star Jimmer Fredette no longer attend class, as first reported by the Post-Star, Fredette's hometown paper.

According to KSL.com's Greg Wrubell, BYU issued the following:

"BYU basketball player Jimmer Fredette has not been excused from his classes nor has the University instructed him not to attend class. Given his travel schedule, he has been working with individual professors to complete his coursework and prepare for upcoming final exams."

Either way, April 13 was the last day of the semester for Spring Break-less BYU. That, combined with the fact that Jimmer's not running around getting his Kimmel and Wooden on, means the kid's got a whole lot of heretofore unheard of me-time on his hands. What should he do with it? 

Give Jerry Maguire a Call

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BORDEAUX, FRANCE - JULY 23: Actor Tom Cruise attends the conclusion of stage 18 of the Tour de France on July 23, 2010 in Bordeaux, France. England�s Mark Cavendish won the stage while Spaniard Alberto Contador kept the race leaders yellow jersey. The ico

The 2011 NBA Draft is June 23. There are four agents left in the Jimmer sweepstakes, Fredette told the Daily Herald, and the top banana will likely emerge in the next week or so. There's some talk that he could opt for two-fold representation: one agent for hoops, and another for the miscellany.

Jimmer would be foolish to ignore the miscellany. Every draft has its star, but rarely does a college player cultivate a brand that even your grandmother recognizes. ("I really Jimmer'd Clarence in cribbage today.") When the wave of Jimmer knickknacks inevitably rolls in, Fredette should be riding on top of it, not paddling against the rip tide. He's already signed off on a Jimmer poster, and his reps have filed for trademarks on variations of the Jimmer name, according to the Deseret News.

Lest we wind up with scores of stickers depicting Jimmer urinating on the Ford logo, Fredette would do well to link up with a top-notch marketing mind.     

Hit the Weight Room, Jimbo

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LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 04: #8 Deron Williams of the Nets in action during the NBA match between New Jersey Nets and the Toronto Raptors at the O2 Arena on March 4, 2011 in London, England. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by do

Fredette has likened his physique to that of New Jersey Nets point guard Deron Williams. D-Will has one inch and a large sack of flour on his would-be protege, who's listed at 6-foot-2, 195 pounds. Neither player relies on breathtaking speed; rather, the burly-bodied guards employ speed changes and contact-absorption to get their shots off.

Obviously, Jimmer will be launching his frame into more mass in the NBA—and far more agile mass, at that—than he's used to now. If he wants to drive-and-pop, much less take it to the rack, every ounce of bulk will help. And we have every reason to believe he'll get it done. That No. 32 jersey has steadily inflated since 2008, back when the brawny shoulders and barrel chest were still hiding under baby fat. 

Get Back on D

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DENVER, CO - MARCH 17: Jimmer Fredette #32 of the Brigham Young Cougars reacts while playing against the Wofford Terriers during the second round of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at Pepsi Center on March 17, 2011 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo

The giant asterisk in the room has always been defense. Fredette's offensive skills are beyond question, but few believe he can D up, and even fewer have witnessed him actually do it.

The bluff is being called. Jimmer's advocates avow that the sharpshooter's disappearing act on the other end of the court wasn't about ability or effort; it was simply BYU's game plan. BYU head coach Dave Rose has said Fredette was certainly capable of guarding guys, but he wasn't asked to exert himself on that end of the court because he shouldered such a high scoring load, often for all 40 minutes of the game. 

Even still, critics question Jimmer's lateral quickness and man-to-man defensive capability. If Fredette wants to see his name in single digits on the draft board, he'll be buried Jimmer-deep in gut-wrenching defense drills and workouts until draft day.  

Discover an Appreciation for Jazz

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LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 5: Head coach Tyrone Corbin of the Utah Jazz makes a point to an official in the game with the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on April 5, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. The Jazz won 86-85. NOTE TO USER: User expressly ack

Jimmer's first employer might just be 40 minutes up the road from his soon-to-be-old stompin' grounds. Thanks to a second-act gag this season—losing your franchise player and head coach of two decades in the same month will do that—the Utah Jazz have two lottery picks with which to take Jimmer. NBADraft.net currently has Jimmer going to the Detroit Pistons at No. 8, with Utah taking Czech power forward Jan Vesely with the preceding pick.

But Jan Vesely doesn't put the rumps in the seats. It'll take years, if ever, before we see any "You got Jan'd" posters. And there's no telling how the current NBA collective bargaining agreement crises will shake out, but it's a safe bet Utah won't be hosting any manufactured superteams like Miami.

Jimmer is a slam dunk with ticket sales, if not pro hoops viability. The Jazz fan base isn't used to the bottom rung—this will only be its second sub-.500 season since 1983. Perhaps neither Jan nor Jimmer can right the ship, but Mr. Fredette will at least get the fans on their feet.

Just to be safe, Jimmer better be boning up on the Tyrone Corbin system (the constitution of which may vary, depending on whether you ask C.J. Miles or Raja Bell).  

Spit-Shine the Hardware

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HOUSTON - APRIL 03: Jimmer Fredette of BYU received the 2011 Naismith Trophy Presented by AT&T at the NABC Guardians of the Game Awards Program on April 3, 2011 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)

Jimmer Fredette won everything but an Emmy; a Nobel Peace Prize isn't far-fetched. The senior snagged the John R. Wooden and Naismith awards, and earned player-of-the-year honors from the Associated Press, National Association of Basketball Coaches and the Oscar Robertson and Adolph Rupp foundations.

Keeping that haul clean of tarnish will be quite a chore, not to mention all the trophy arranging, gazing and rearranging Jimmer owes himself and his fans.    

The only biggie that eluded him was the Bob Cousy Award, which went to Connecticut's Kemba Walker. Maybe Jimmer can trade Kemba for it—how about all 15 of his career MWC Player of the Week awards, plus he throws in that Lowe's Senior CLASS award to sweeten the deal?