Estimated read time: 7-8 minutes
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Those were the words of Jimmer Fredette, describing his thoughts as he released a 40-foot halftime buzzer-beater Tuesday night at the Huntsman Center (as seen above).
He could have said the same thing about any number of the 16 shots he made last night in leading BYU to a 104-79 dump-trucking of the rival Runnin' Utes. Fredette's 47 points represent his second highest single game point total, and now gives Fredette three of the top four scoring performances in BYU Basketball history (49 @ Arizona, 47 @ Utah, and 45 v. TCU at the MWC Tournament).
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Fredette also passed the 2,000 point barrier as a Cougar, his 2,001 points making him the fourth member of the "2,000 Club," joining Devin Durrant, Michael Smith, and alltime points leader Danny Ainge, whose steals record Jackson Emery broke last night with two steals, giving him 197 to Ainge's 195.
With 20 points, Emery became the 42nd member of BYU's "1,000 Club"; Emery stands at exactly 1,000 points after last night.
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The 104 points are the most ever scored by BYU at Utah, and the Cougars now own back-to-back 20+ point wins at Utah for the first time in school history (the Cougars beat the Utes 71-51 on the hill last year).
BYU also now leads the alltime series with Utah, 126-125.
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About Fredette's 47-point masterpiece (16/28 fg, 6/9 3pfg, 9/9 ft, 6 assists, 4 reb, 2 steals), BYU head coach Dave Rose told us after the game that "the people in the state of Utah will remember it for a long, long time, because he's a special player. I don't know how many times we can keep talking about Jimmer... what's going to happen is, pretty soon he's going to be gone, but right now we'll just enjoy the fact that he's on a roll."
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You can hear the Fredette and Rose post-game interviews with us on KSL Radio by going to the "Postgame" audio link in the Utah game audio section of KSL's BYU Basketball Game Archive.
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Jimmer has seven games with 35+ points; among BYU players, only Devin Durrant (8) had more.
Jimmer has 13 games with 30+ points; among BYU players, only Durrant and Michael Smith (17 apiece) had more.
If Jimmer maintains his current scoring average (26.1 ppg) in a 36-game season, he will finish with 2,471 points. Danny Ainge owns the BYU record with 2,467 points.
Jimmer has made 20 consecutive free throws, his second streak of 20 straight free throws this season. In 2009-10, Fredette topped out with separate streaks of 39 and 37 free throws, and had four streaks of 20+ on the season.
From espn.com, there is this: Jimmer's 32 points in the first half are more than any other MWC player has scored in a game this season.
Jimmer's 32 points are a career high for points in a half.
Jimmer now leads the nation in scoring at 26.1ppg, taking over the lead from UConn's Kemba Walker.
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It's amazing the coast-to-coast frenzy created by Jimmer's 47 point effort last night. Jimmer scored 49 at Arizona last season, but the buzz about his game at Utah seems to be exponentially greater.
Some of it is because of his 40-foot bomb. Some of it is because he began the season on the national radar, and has been a remained a fixture in the college hoops conversation. Some of it is because his team is ranked in the Top 10. Some of it is because he did a live phone interview on the prime time SportsCenter last night, on a night when his was clearly the most outstanding performance in the college game.
It's all of that, and something more. America, and American sportscasters, really LIKE Jimmer. He's got the unique name; it's fun to say, it sounds old-school Americana, like it belongs to a gym rat of a kid from a small-town (like Glens Falls, NY). A name like Jimmer Fredette is one that sticks with you.
He looks like an average, everyday guy. He's not blessed with unusual height, or crazy speed. He possesses special gifts, but ones that were earned by hard work as much as other-worldly inspiration. He's a superstar you can relate to.
He's a great kid. He's polite, he's kind, he's affable and easygoing. In short, he's someone you pull for because he's so... nice. I've never been around someone so talented who is also so approachable. The demands on his time are increasingly intense, but he handles every manageable request with aplomb and grace.
He's a great teammate. Jimmer is capable of taking over a game like few others, yet his biggest scoring games are always accompanied by a high number of assists. In his 49-point game, he had nine helpers. Last night, he had six dishes, and last year in his 45-point game, he also had six assists, and five helpers in last week's 39-point game at UNLV.
When one player commands so much of the spotlight, the potential exists for divisiveness and jealousy among teammates. Jimmer Fredette appears tailor-made to shine in the spotlight while not alienating his fellow Cougars, just as this team appears perfectly suited for unity amid the singular crush of attention on the team's superstar.
Special recognition should go to Jackson Emery, who as Jimmer's three-year right-hand man has been consistently gracious and accommodating, while never taking his focus off being the best player HE can be, unworried about who's making headlines. Jackson has pride, but he channels it into leadership and relentless, energetic performance.
It is symbolic that on a night Emery becomes BYU's alltime career steals leader, his personal accomplishment is #1A, while Jimmer's feat resonates as #1. Dave Rose has said it before, that Jimmer wouldn't be Jimmer without Jackson, and vice-versa. Cougar fans probably don't yet realize how much they are going to miss both halves of BYU's most dynamic duo--a perfect match on the hardwoods.
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I am fortunate to have the job I do. In the space of six days, I was courtside for BYU's first Rose-era win at UNLV, and then an all-timer at the Huntsman Center. Those who listened to last night's radio broadcast, either live or after the fact, know how much I enjoyed last night's victory. It will go down as a career highlight, and not just because of Jimmer's 47, or Emery's record-breaking theft.
Last night was a night on which BYU Basketball reached a certain summit, of sorts, on the hill. In enemy territory, Cougar fans turned the Huntsman Center into a home court on the road (Utah choosing to wear road reds, putting BYU in home whites certainly helped). The energy in the building built, and built, and we heard chants, and cheers, and saw buzzer-beaters, jaw-droppers and standing ovations.
The game was well over, and yet fans remained, some in their seats, many on the floor, some in red and many in blue, all of them soaking it in. Utah fans were left to wonder about what they had just witnessed; BYU supporters just wanted the incomparable feeling to linger. I saw former Cougar Chris Miles in full blue face paint.
We saw (and hope you heard) history last night, and in BYU's last-ever Mountain West Conference game at the Huntsman Center, the Cougars officially turned the tables. The first ten BYU/Utah games I called at the Huntsman Center were Utah wins, many of the soul-crushing variety. The light at the end of the rivarly tunnel was not visible.
As BYU prepares to leave the MWC, BYU has beaten Utah in four straight, four of five at the Huntsman Center, and eight of nine overall. There could be no better way to end an era in Salt Lake City.
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BYU has a week until it's next game, a home game with TCU next Tuesday on KSL Radio. After that, only six home games remain in the season, and I ask: why not sell out the remaining seven Marriott Center games?
What a tribute it would be to this team, and what a way it would be for BYU to leave the MWC, by selling out its entire home conference schedule--eight games, eight sellouts (BYU packed the Marriott Center for the Air Force game last Saturday).
In the 70s and 80s, players like Cosic and Ainge played before frequent sellout crowds, and there is little doubt that in Jimmer Fredette, BYU fans are witnessing the third member of Cougar hoops' alltime power trio; Jimmer alone is worth buying a ticket for any or all of BYU's remaining seven home games.
Go for Jimmer, go for Jackson, go for the team. Help BYU stay in the Top 10. Help BYU win a conference championship. Be a part of something special. You never know when this feeling will come around again.
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