Jimmer Headlines the "Weekly News"

As expected, BYU's Jimmer Fredette was named the Mountain West Conference Player of the Week after averaging 29.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists in the Cougars' blowout wins over Vermont and Arizona.

For the week, Fredette shot 20/41 (49%) from the field, 5/12 (42%) from the three-point arc and 14/15 (94%) from the free throw stripe.

Fredette has now scored 30 points or more ten games during his BYU career; BYU is 9-1 in those ten games.

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Fredette's weekly award is the second of the season and ninth of his career. The nine weekly honors set a new MWC record for POW citations.

Most MWC Player of the Week Awards

9: Jimmer Fredette, BYU

8: Brandon Heath, SDSU

6: Andrew Bogut, Utah/Luke Nevill, Utah/J.R. Giddens, New Mexico

5: Kawhi Leonard, SDSU/Trent Plaisted, BYU/Marcus Banks, UNLV

4: Rafael Araujo, BYU/Ruben Douglas, New Mexico/Jason Smith, CSU/Tony Danridge, New Mexico/Kaspars Kambala, UNLV

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As one of only 14 unbeatens remaining in D1 basketball, BYU is moving up in the national top 25 polls, going from 21st to 18th in the Coaches' weekly survey, and from 18th to 16th in the AP poll.

The 10-0 Cougars are prominently featured in espn.com's new "Weekly Watch".

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BYU is 2nd in the latest Sagarin rankings, 5th in the Jerry Palm (collegerpi.com) RPI, and 7th in the updated Ken Pomeroy ratings (kenpom.com).

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Don't forget tonight's broadcast of "BYU Basketball with Head Coach Dave Rose" on KSL Newsradio, starting at 7:00pm, live from Legends Grille on the BYU campus. Fans are encouraged to attend; parking is free around the BYU Student-Athlete building.

If you would like to submit a question for the coach during tonight's show, send it in at this link.

We are giving the players a week off for finals, so tonight's one special guest will be assistant coach and former BYU point guard Terry Nashif.

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We'll talk more about it tonight, but here is BYU's press release on Coach Rose's involvement with the Children with Cancer Christmas Foundation:

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PROVO, Utah (Dec. 13, 2010) - For the past 12 years, the BYU men's basketball team has been involved with the Children With Cancer Christmas Foundation (CCCF). This year the Cougars will continue their tradition of participating in the Children with Cancer Christmas Foundation's annual Christmas party to help make the party a night to remember for the children.

During Coach Steve Cleveland's tenure at BYU, the Cougars attended the party for the first time. After the party, Cheryl Rose, wife of current BYU head coach Dave Rose, was asked to serve on the foundation's committee.

"We were invited the second year they had the party," Cheryl Rose explained. "We saw the joy it brought these families and it touched our hearts. These are great people and it is an honor for us to be able to be involved with this foundation. These families are experiencing an incredible challenge but they are facing it with great courage."

The event became even more meaningful to Dave Rose last year after he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer during the summer. His subsequent cancer scans have come back normal. However, the Rose family now has even greater empathy for these families who struggle as a result of cancer.

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How to Donate

Those wishing to participate in the event can drop off unwrapped toys at Harmon's Auto Center in Provo, any of the five Far West Bank locations in Orem, Provo, Payson, Salem and at Springville's Main Street branch. There will also be donation boxes at Learning Dynamics Preschool's four locations. The 2010 Christmas party and the distribution of the toys will take place on Dec. 15.

Monetary donations can be sent to the Children with Cancer Christmas Foundation, 56 East 100 South, Orem, Utah 84058. Toys can be dropped off until Dec. 13, while the monetary donations can be made through the end of December.

For more information on how to donate or to be involved, call the foundation's info line at (801) 221-7667.

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