The Official Jimmerphilia Thread

[Art Vandelay]

Text from good friend, UNLV season ticket holder, as we are discussing what to do in addition to watching the MWC tournament in March.

Disturbed/Korn/Sevendust are also playing that night. Jimmer will probably be there to consumate the deal with the devil he must have made.

[myboynoah]

From ESPN Chat with Fran Fraschilla

Jay (Utah)
Are you on board the Jimmer train?

Fran Fraschilla (5:09 PM)
I've been on the Jimmer since his sophomore season. As someone who's coached in the MWC, I try to keep an eye on those teams. But that still doesn't mean I'm not amazed at what he's doing. Most of his best games have come on the road; at UNLV, Utah and others. He is a big time shot maker, as of today he has been the more impressive single player in college basketball. For you Penn State fans, its interesting that Jimmer and Taylor Battle played on the same summer AAU team, the Albany City Rocks. A pretty good backcourt, huh!

[CardiacCoug]

IIRC, when House scored 61 points in college he only had something like 7 points in the first 10 minutes.

I think that's true, but I think House's 61-point game went a couple of overtimes. So it was then 54 points in the last 40 minutes of the game.

It's pretty near impossible to predict what Jimmer will do at the NBA level. A lot of it will depend on the situation where he ends up and how much of a chance he is given. A lot will also depend on Jimmer continuing to improve his strength and conditioning and tightening up his ball handling even more. Has Jimmer completely peaked or can he get even better?

[myboynoah]

From [ame="http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/chat/_/id/36457"]Chat: Chat with Dick Vitale - SportsNation - ESPN[/ame]

Jon (Arizona)
Can Jimmer Fredette win POY when practically noone gets to watch him? (Thank goodness BYU joins the WCC next year and gets away from the MTN. network!)

Dick Vitale (11:19 AM)
Yes, he can definitely win it. He is closing the gap on Kemba Walker of Connecticut, who was the early-season leader. You can't hide 47 and 39-point games against solid opponents.

Cameron (Atlanta, GA)
Where does Jimmer Fredette rank on your top players in the country right now?

Dick Vitale (11:36 AM)
Absolutely. When I do my Super Seven midseason All-Solid Gold team, Fredette, Kemba Walker, Kyle Singler, Sullinger, Ja Juan Johnson, Nolan Smith are among the creme de la creme.

[myboynoah]

From The Daily Utah Chronicle

Allegiance aside, Fredette deserves some applause
By Corbin Godfrey

It was one of the biggest performances ever on U campus, and one that caused the rest of the nation to take notice.

Too bad it wasn't from a Ute.

Yes, Jimmer Fredette's explosive 47-point performance Tuesday night was the kind of game where you felt lucky to be in attendance, and the kind of game people watching at home wished they were at. Fredette's half-court shot to end the first half was featured as ESPN SportsCenter's top play of the night, giving people around the nation a small taste of what is being called "Jimmermania."

Yes, he's not a Ute, but Utah basketball fans—and those who are just plain basketball fans—should have nothing but great things to say about Fredette's performance. It was flat-out insane, and a performance that will be talked about for years to come. The Huntsman Center seating capacity is about 15,000, but thousands more will claim they were there.

There were a few respectable Utah fans who cheered Fredette after the game in respect for his performance. Let's be honest, the guy deserved a standing ovation from every single person in that stadium, whether they were a Utah fan, a BYU fan or a "Honey-I-don't-even-like-basketball-can-we-please-go-home?" fan.

After the game, Utah head coach Jim Boylen seemed dazed over what he had just witnessed. How was he supposed to explain what just happened? It's not like Utah just gave Fredette a clear lane to the basket on every possession. No, the Utes did their best to lock Fredette down, but it was just his night–hitting, 3-point shot after 3-point shot with a hand in his face. Fredette was simply in the zone.

Any fan of basketball here on campus who says they don't like Fredette, or that they don't think he is a good basketball player needs to go see their counselor and change their major to common sense. If I had a kid who loved basketball, and I wanted to take him to see the best in the state, I would drive right past the Huntsman Center, right past the Energy Solutions Arena, get on the interstate and head south to Happy Valley. But since I don't have a kid, I do have the next best thing—DVR. Hell, I haven't ruled out naming my first born Jimmer, girl or boy.

So if you are hating on Fredette, think to yourself, "Why?" Is it because you honestly think he's not a good basketball player, or is it because he hails from "That School Down South" and wears blue on game-night? Please, take off your hater-shades, put that glass of Haterade down and just give the guy his due. Any publicity for sports in Utah is good publicity—well, besides the publicity Utah's basketball team brings this year.

This is what Utah students and fans should be thinking, "Hey, that Jimmer Fredette is a darn good basketball player, and I really enjoy watching him play, even though he plays for BYU. He and his school deserve all the attention."

Because it must be hard not knowing what a BCS Bowl win feels like, let alone two. Rah-rah, Cougars, rah-rah.

c.godfrey@chronicle.utah.edu

[cougjunkie]

Buying Jimmer, Selling Chris Wright.

http://www.thesportsbank.net/nba-dra...-report-11311/

[Top Ute]

Dick Vitale (11:19 AM)
Yes, he can definitely win it. He is closing the gap on Kemba Walker of Connecticut, who was the early-season leader. You can't hide 47 and 39-point games against solid opponents.

Wow. Vitale thinks we're still a "solid opponent." and essentially puts us in the same league as UNLV. I'm glad we have our tradition to hold on to.

[Indy Coug]

Wow. Vitale thinks we're still a "solid opponent." and essentially puts us in the same league as UNLV. I'm glad we have our tradition to hold on to.

Solid, at least compared to Mississippi Valley State or some other completely hapless team where Jimmer could hang a 50 spot if he really wanted to.

[smokymountainrain]

Last night during ESPN's top 10, they showed Miss St's PG, Dee Bost knock down a tough 25 footer with a hand in his face - and Scott Van Pelt while calling the highlights said on the play that Bost was "like Jimmer". They hadn't mentioned Fredette all night on Sportscenter, but he didn't even have to mentionsay his last name and implied that is something Jimmer does regularly.

[Surfah]

Last night during ESPN's top 10, they showed Miss St's PG, Dee Bost knock down a tough 25 footer with a hand in his face - and Scott Van Pelt while calling the highlights said on the play that Bost was "like Jimmer". They hadn't mentioned Fredette all night on Sportscenter, but he didn't even have to mentionsay his last name and implied that is something Jimmer does regularly.

I saw that too. During the actual game highlights, they compared Bost's performance to Jimmer the whole highlight.

Also, during the afternoon they had Steve Young live to talk about the playoffs and the anchor prefaced his first question to Steve "I know you have BYU basketball and Jimmer on your mind so we need you to focus."

[BGRTHNUMEGO]

"Jimmer gaining first round buzz"

[ame="http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/blog?name=nba_draft&id=6021421"]NBA Draft: BYU Cougar Jimmer Fredette climbing up Big Board - ESPN[/ame]

Found this part the most interesting:

But two of the sources I spoke with had him in the 15-20 range. Interestingly, the two sources that ranked him highest had brought him in for workouts last year before Fredette withdrew from the draft.

"The underlying theme from all the teams was that they were surprised by how good an athlete he is," Rose told ESPN.com. "He may look a step slow, or maybe he doesn't look the part, but when they got him in and tested his athletic skills, they were really impressed."

[cougjunkie]

"Jimmer gaining first round buzz"

NBA Draft: BYU Cougar Jimmer Fredette climbing up Big Board - ESPN

Found this part the most interesting:

I liked this at the end:

"We really had all the concerns that you spoke about. Is he quick enough? Can he guard 1s? Will he be able to get to the basket at the next level?" the exec said. "So [when he came in for the workout] we put him up against the quickest guard we could find. And we were really blown away with how well he played. He defended and he still was able to do his thing. He's not a sure thing the way a John Wall or Derrick Rose was. He has to play on the right team with a coach who uses him the right way. But I wouldn't bet against that kid. He's tough, he's more athletic than you think and he really knows how to play.

"I don't know who will or won't be in the draft, and there's guys I'd take ahead of him, but I also know I'd want him on my basketball team. He's going to go higher than people think ... the same way Tyler Hansbrough did a few years ago. We spend so much time talking about tools or lack thereof, but sometimes a guy is just a basketball player."

Fredette has been stuck in the mid-40s on our Big Board all season based on the feedback we've received from NBA scouts and executives. However, after our latest round of interviews, we've moved him up to No. 30. Given that a handful of prospects above him on our Big Board won't declare for the draft, that would project him as a mid- to late-first-round pick. And if Fredette and BYU go off on a huge run in the NCAA tournament, he has the chance to rise even higher.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

Was one of the teams that worked him out the Knicks? He could lead a great second team in a revival of the Garden.

[KillerDog]

I'll admit that, despite being high on Jimmer when I first saw his recruiting video and despite seeing nearly every BYU game since he's been on campus, I didn't think he was an NBA prospect until the Arizona game last year. At that game I first realized that he could score against elite athletes. I'll also admit that I don't think he is a high first-rounder. Could he be a high first rounder? Yes. Could he be another Andre Miller in the NBA? Yes. I just don't know if everyone sees it.

[Surfah]

How BYU fares this postseason will determine Jimmer's draft stock more than anything I think. If he puts BYU on his back and drops 30-40 on a few teams and BYU gets to the Sweet 16 I think he goes around 20.