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BYU's Jimmer Fredette now has the attention of even NBA stars
Rvials.com ^ | 1/27/11 | Jeff Eisenberg

Posted on 01/27/2011 12:28:07 PM PST by GSWarrior

If historians ever try to pinpoint the game that transformed Jimmer Fredette from player of the year candidate to bona fide basketball icon, Wednesday's 71-58 victory over previously undefeated San Diego State would be an ideal choice.

The unassuming BYU star scored 43 points on 14-for-24 shooting, a mesmerizing performance that inspired a "You got Jimmered" chant from his appreciative home crowd and elevated him to a level of nationwide fame few college players ever achieve.

Three different Jimmer-inspired hashtags each became national trending topics on Twitter. Highlights of his performance and a subsequent live phone interview led "SportsCenter" for the second time in two weeks. And the crush of white-clad students that stormed the Marriott Center court trying to get close to Fredette after the game was so suffocating that he actually needed a police escort to help him escape the mayhem.

"It was kind of scary," Fredette told reporters after the game. Fredette inspired such a strong reaction from both the BYU crowd and an awed national TV audience because he delivered a virtuoso performance in one of the most heavily hyped games of the regular season. San Diego State and BYU entered their first of two matchups this season both boasting top-10 rankings and matching 5-0 records in Mountain West play.

Maybe the most telling aspect of the night was how many people took the time to find CBS College Sports on their cable packages as word spread that the nation's leading scorer was on his way to eclipsing 40 points for the third time in four games.

Everyone from NBA stars, to rappers, to prominent reporters, to even fellow college player of the year candidates weighed in on Fredette's masterpiece via Twitter, a sampling of which you'll find after the jump.

(Excerpt) Read more at rivals.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Music/Entertainment; Sports
KEYWORDS: basketball; byu; fredette
With all due respect to Kyle Singler and Jared Sullinger, Fredette is undoubtedly the college basketball player of the year.

I am a SDSU alum and I can say with fear of contradiction that never before have students swarmed the court after beating the Aztecs.

1 posted on 01/27/2011 12:28:17 PM PST by GSWarrior
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To: GSWarrior

BYU alum, and I can say the game would have been even better and closer if one of the SDSU stars had not been ill, and still played a darn good game. Only the last few minutes of the second half when the rest of the BYU team woke up, did things begin to elevate BYU over SDSU.

Just wait till February when BYU travels to San Diego. That should be another big one if both teams are able to maintain present momentum.


2 posted on 01/27/2011 12:56:34 PM PST by wita
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To: GSWarrior

I’m not yet convinced that either BYU or SDSU has played all that great of teams so far this season. Aside from each other, what other opponent really stands out? UNLV? Creighton? Arizona? Even those are highly questionable.


3 posted on 01/27/2011 1:08:22 PM PST by Lou L (The Senate without a fillibuster is just a 100-member version of the House.)
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To: GSWarrior
The best, most electrifying college shooter/scoring sensation I ever saw was Pistol Pete Maravich. And his scoring would have been even higher if they had had the 3-point line back then.

I haven't seen this Fredette kid yet, but I may have to.

4 posted on 01/27/2011 1:13:37 PM PST by Charles Henrickson
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To: Charles Henrickson

Jimmer is a Mark Price type of player.


5 posted on 01/27/2011 1:44:01 PM PST by GSWarrior (Businessmen are more trustworthy than preachers, professors and politicians.)
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To: GSWarrior

I went looking for this game on my cable system. ESPN? Nope! ESPN2 then. Nope! Certainly ESPNU. Nope! Ok, how about Versus? Nope! Ridiculous. I’m bombarded with a billion college basketball games a week, and there a Top 10 matchup with the best player in the country playing, and it’s not on TV.

I guess if it doesn’t happen in a major conference, it’s not on TV......


6 posted on 01/27/2011 1:44:58 PM PST by Big E
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To: wita
When I moved to the Bay Area from San Diego I adopted the University of San Francisco as the college team to follow.

I'm looking forward to the addition of BYU to the West Coast Conference. Their addition should raise the bar for the entire league...just glad Fredette won't be around!

7 posted on 01/28/2011 10:06:00 AM PST by GSWarrior (Businessmen are more trustworthy than preachers, professors and politicians.)
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To: Big E

CBSC on any or most cable systems and Dish Network where I had it.

If you go here, http://www.byucougars.com/Schedule.jsp?SP=111

You can find out who is playing and where on TV, if it is on TV. Playing NM Sat in the Pit, on Versus, 2:00 pm MST


8 posted on 01/28/2011 12:16:13 PM PST by wita
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To: GSWarrior

Wasn’t aware BYU was headed for the WCC.

That would be 8 schools from 3500 to 9000 population, with BYU at 30,000 plus.

Interestingly enough, St Mary’s played BYU early this season and lost by 1 point. Lost to SDSU, and lost to Vanderbilt


9 posted on 01/28/2011 12:36:06 PM PST by wita
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To: GSWarrior

According to the paper: BYU vs. New Mexico, Saturday, 1PM PST on the Versus Network.


10 posted on 01/28/2011 12:41:59 PM PST by Uncle Hal
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To: wita
BYU is going independent in football and joining the WCC in all other sports. Should be interesting.

There is some good basketball being played out here so I don't expect a cakewalk for the Cougs even tho they have some definite advantages, such as playing in the Marriot Center and traveling to games via private jet.

11 posted on 01/28/2011 2:38:59 PM PST by GSWarrior (Businessmen are more trustworthy than preachers, professors and politicians.)
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To: GSWarrior

Yep, Gonzaga is usually a power house, no matter who they play.


12 posted on 01/28/2011 2:52:00 PM PST by wita
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