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SALT LAKE CITY -- Utah really should have known better. They've played him for three years in a row now. They know just how dangerous of a player Fredette can be.
"He's (Fredette) a special player," head coach Dave Rose said after the Cougars' 104-79 drubbing of Utah. "He's on a roll and playing with a lot of confidence."
Cougar Tracks:
"Oh, Man, That's Going In, Too"
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.Last season around this time Jimmer was starting to suffer from the effects of mono. He was playing with it, or while recovering from it for much of league play. This has to scare opponents, knowing that he averaged 22.1 points per game as just a shell of himself.
Turns out the mono effect is four points, give or take. After scorching the Utes for 47 points, Jimmer is now averaging 26.1 points per game and is the leading scorer in the NCAA.
The crazy thing about Jimmer and his overly impressive night is he is not looking to take all the credit.
"The basket felt real big and my teammates did a great job of getting me the ball in good situations," Fredette said.
This is what makes the Cougars so successful this year. Nobody is jealous of each other's success. Everyone is supportive of each other. This unity started in the off-season and was further solidified by the team's grueling non-conference schedule.
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"This is a great team win for a lot of reasons," Rose said. "This is a great basketball team when Jimmer's playing like that and the other guys are engaged like they were."
Don't forget about those other guys; guys like senior guard Jackson Emery, who scored 20 points, had two steals and three assists. And who, but the way, broke the steals record at BYU set by Danny Ainge.
"Jackon's a great competitor," Fredette said. "I have been grateful for him and it has been great to be a part of his career. It's a special thing for us to go through this senior year together."
It has been a special season so far, and will only get better, because a mono-less Jimmer is a scary thought. Even for teams who have played him for the past three years.
