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PROVO - Last Tuesday, Jimmer Fredette came up big for the BYU Cougars, scoring 47 points, silencing the home crowd at the Jon M. Huntsman Center as the Cougars went on to an easy 104-79 win over the Utah Utes. BYU coach Dave Rose credited much of Fredette's points to effective ball screening by the other members of the BYU team.
"Every team kind of decides how they're going to do a ball screen," Rose said. "How they're going to guard ball screens is a little different."
In an example from the game against the Utes, James Anderson comes up to the top of the key to set a ball screen, allowing Fredette to get open. The closest defender to Fredette is four to five feet away, providing Fredette with many options.
In the first play described, Fredette uses the space of the defender as an opportunity to shoot a quick 14-foot jumper. In another play, Fredette decides to take the ball to the rim, recognizing that his teammates are heavily guarded.
"A lot of guys off a ball screen need to get all the way to the basket to score," Rose said. "This is what makes Jimmer so good. With the space, he can hit a little 12- or 14-foot shot."
Fredette becomes a major threat to opposing teams off the ball screen. If the defense collapses on Fredette he can easily kick the pass out to an open shooter. If the defense gives Fredette room to work, he attacks the rim or uses the space to fire off a quick shot.
"When we say he has a variety of shots, those are the kinds of things we're talking about," Rose said.
