The "Stars" Shine in Provo

"Jimmermania" returns to BYU's Marriott Center one more time Thursday night, but Jimmer Fredette won't be a solo act. The "Jimmer's All-Stars Presented by Zions Bank" exhibition basketball game will feature several 1st and 2nd round picks from the 2011 NBA Draft.

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At a Wednesday evening press conference in Provo, Fredette said "we're really looking forward to being able to go out and play against great competition, in kind of game setting where there's gonna be people in the stands, people cheering--something that probably a lot of us haven't done for a while."

"I am real excited to be here," said Fredette. "I appreciate all you guys that have come out and supported us."

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As members of the last two NCAA Championship teams, former UConn star Kemba Walker and Duke product Nolan Smith are two of the more noticeable names on the "All-Stars" roster. BYU fans will welcome the addition Jackson Emery to Fredette's team, in his one and only professional appearance.

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Here are the complete rosters for the "Jimmer's All-Stars Presented by Zions Bank":

Team Rose/Fredette:

2 Nolan Smith, Duke, (Portland Trail Blazers, 1st round, 21st overall)

4 Jackson Emery, BYU

22 Charles Jenkins, Hofstra, (Golden State Warriors, 2nd round, 44th overall)

23 Tyler Honeycutt, UCLA, (Sacramento Kings, 2nd round, 35th overall)

31 Chris Singleton, Florida State, (Washington Wizards, 1st round, 18th overall)

32 Jimmer Fredette, BYU, (Sacramento Kings, 1st round, 10th overall)

33 Chris Wright, Dayton

35 Kenneth Faried, Morehead State, (Denver Nuggets, 1st round, 10th overall)

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Team Fisher/Leonard:

1 Kemba Walker, UConn, (Charlotte Bobcats, 1st round, 9th overall)

2 Isaiah Thomas, Washington, (Sacramento Kings, 2nd round, 60th overall)

3 Malcolm Lee, UCLA, (Minnesota Timberwolves, 2nd round, 43rd overall)

11 Bismack Biyombo, Spain (Charlotte Bobcats, 1st round, 7th overall)

12 Tobias Harris, Tennessee, (Milwaukee Bucks, 1st round, 19th overall)

15 Kawhi Leonard, SDSU, (San Antonio Spurs, 1st round, 15th overall)

32 Vernon Macklin, Florida, (Detroit Pistons, 2nd round, 52nd overall)

35 Jake Kelly, Indiana State

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Most players practiced Wednesday afternoon at the Marriott Center with the exception of Tyler Honeycutt and Jake Kelly, who were en route. "It was a good practice today," Fredette said. "I think most of the guys were actually a little bit tired after the warm-ups, because of the altitude."

Practice was light and included some drills, but that didn't stop San Diego State coach Steve Fisher from doing what he does best. There were several occasions where he stopped play during the scrimmage portion of the practice to coach up his Kawhi Leonard-led team. BYU coach Dave Rose wasn't as vocal but appeared to strategize more than Fisher (during one timeout in the scrimmage, Rose drew up a play in a student's notebook that was sitting on the scorer's table).

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The 24-minute scrimmage saw Leonard's team jump out to a quick lead, with Fredette's team fighting back during a stretch that featured a Jimmer triple and a Kenneth Faried three-pointer from the top of the key. With less than 30 seconds remaining in a four-point game, Fisher said the team that made the next basket would win the scrimmage. Fredette's squad had the first chance to win it, but a long Chris Singleton jumper bounced off the rim. Leonard's team pushed the ball down the court following the rebound and Tobias Harris hit a long two from the corner to end the scrimmage.

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Both coaches took the scrimmage and game prep fairly seriously, considering the Mountain West Championship wasn't on the line, as it has been in most recent meetings. At one point during the scrimmage, Jimmer took the ball to the hoop and was stripped from behind by Isaiah Thomas. Jimmer took his time getting back to the defensive side of the court, somewhat upset by the lack of a foul call from the coaches. Coach Fisher referenced that play in the press conference. "When Jimmer had one of his patented drives, got bumped and fell down he looked and I said, ‘No foul! Play on.' There's gonna be fouls like that called tomorrow."

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The common theme at the evening media event was excitement. "Just knowing my relationship that I had with Jimmer last summer in Vegas with the USA select team…when he invited me to come I was honored," said Smith. "I didn't think twice about coming here to play. I knew it was going to be a great environment."

Kemba Walker sang a similar tune. "They asked me if I wanted to play in the game and I said ‘yeah.' When I found out who was playing I just knew that it would be an exciting time, so why not."

Fredette's former BYU backcourt mate Jackson Emery might be the most excited to play Thursday night because it could be his final competitive game with professional athletes.

"It feels great to play at the Marriott Center, the place I guess you could say that I started off just enjoying a fun career there," Emery said. "It's good to go back and play against these kinds of guys because these guys are the best in the country. I'm honored and at the same time it's going to have a special meaning to go back and play one more time there."

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Having opted to forego pursuing a professional basketball career, Emery said "it was extremely hard; I always knew it would be. Whether it was seven years down the road or a year or whatever it would be. You always hope to try and drag it on as long as possible but sometimes that's not how life works. Sometimes you want to do something and something else realistically pops up and you know that's the best decision."

If the actual game is half as entertaining as the practice and press conference, then everyone attending will get their money's worth--especially during a time where finding competitive basketball involving professional athletes is nearly impossible. You won't want to miss out when Jimmer, Jackson and future NBA stars take the Marriott Center floor.

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You can hear the podium press conference comments and interviews with Jackson Emery, Kemba Walker and Nolan Smith in "Cougar Cuts" above.

You will hear Jimmer Fredette and Dave Rose in pregame interviews during KSL Radio's pregame coverage Thursday evening, starting at 6:30pm.

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Tickets for "Jimmer's All-Stars Presented by Zions Bank" can be purchased at byutickets.com or by calling 1-888-322-BYU1. The game will be heard on KSL Newsradio 102.7 FM and 1160 AM with pregame coverage at 6:30pm. Tipoff is 7:00pm at the Marriott Center.