Wildcats Aim to Slow BYU's Fredette

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. - The name is James Fredette, but on the basketball court, he goes by "Jimmer."

The way he shoots the ball, this 6-foot-2 junior from BYU has earned the right to go by any name that he wishes.

A native of Glens Falls, N.Y., stopping Fredette will rank highest on the to do list of the Wildcats here tonight at 7:10 when No. 2 seeded Kansas State (27-7) faces No. 7 seeded BYU (30-5) in second-round play of the 2010 NCAA Tournament here at the Ford Center.

All Fredette has done recently is score 37, 30 and 45 points in his last three games. For the record, that's a 37-point average in the semi-final and finals of the Mountain West Tournament, and a 37-point first-round NCAA Tournament game here Thursday against Florida when he netted 29 points after intermission in the double-overtime victory. His 37 points against the Gators - 13-of-26 from the field - tied an NCAA Tournament record.

That's not too bad for a guy who has been battling mononucleosis since mid-season, which forced him to miss two games, and play no more than 18 minutes in three others.

Fredette's season-high was a stunning 49-point mid-season effort against Arizona, and then added a 45-pointer last week against TCU in postseason play.

"I think the main thing that makes him so difficult to guard is his ability to change speeds with the ball," said Dave Rice, associate head coach of BYU. "Jimmer is a terrific shooter, which always makes you quicker because people have to come out on you, but his ability to change speeds with the ball is really amazing. He is so comfortable out there with the ball, it's almost like he's out there without a ball."

Whether being defended by a big guard, or a smallish one, Rice said, "Jimmer's game has really developed to where he can read defenses, and fortunately he's found success against teams that have guarded him a variety of ways. (Pause) But yes, K-State's guards are so quick, and that is concerning."

Saying that he was going to get the first assignment on Fredette was K-State's 6-foot-5 junior Dominique Sutton.

"I'm going to get the first chance to try to affect and bother him with my length and size to frustrate him a little bit," said Sutton. "If I can do that, the sky is the limit for our team."

The key, Sutton says, is to stay disciplined.

"He does a lot of head fakes, so I have to stay grounded," said Sutton. "He really wants to get to the free throw line, so I have to stay on my feet."

On the knack of getting to the foul line, Frredette said, "I try to be aggressive and go to the basket and then use my body to create contact. In the NCAA, they let it be pretty physical. I expect them to let some things go, but I will still try to be drawing contact."

BYU has other thoughts on how K-State might defend their sharp-shooter as it was 5-foot-10 Lamont Morgan who spent much of Friday's practice trying to simulate a look that he might get from either Jacob Pullen or Denis Clemente.

"I think his game is deception," said the Cougar backup guard. "He doesn't look like he can go by you, but he can, and then the next time he will give you a right-to-left crossover, or a left-to-right cross over, and all of a sudden you have a 3 in your face. He's a guy who has worked hard on his game on the court, but also off the court with film."

Teammate Tyler Haws added, "The most amazing thing to me is how he can get his 3-point shot off about any time, and then he really has a knack for how to use his body in the lane when he drives."

Fredette is a two-time All-MWC performer as he averaged 16.2 points per game last year, prior to posting a league-high 22.1 average this season. In his senior season he has shot 46 percent overall, 44 percent from 3-point range and a near automatic 89 percent from the foul line. That average - 22 points per game - includes six single-digit scoring games, in part, due to the season-long illness he's been battling.

Overall, Rice said, "We recruit players from winning programs, but that player better love to play. The only way to maximize your talents is if you really have a passion for the game. For everything good you can say about Jimmer's game, it always starts with the fact he loves to play."

ON THE 'CATS
On K-State, BYU coach Dave Rose scouted, "They're physical and they really, really play hard. They play as hard as any team in the country. And then there's the skill of their guards. I watch a lot of basketball, but you'd be hard-pressed to find a backcourt that is as fast, as talented, as quick and as skilled as their backcourt."

On Clemente's speed, Rose admitted, "We'll probably use a secondary defender to try to slow him down."

While often times a defense tries to speed up a player like Clemente, Rose said, "The faster he goes, the better he gets. It seems like he can stop on a dime and convert shots."

But the BYU coach quickly added, "Rebounding is our biggest issue."

BYU'S STARTERS
C - Chris Miles, 6-11, Sr, 4.6, 3.4 - shoots 52 percent from the field
F - Noah Hartsock, 6-8, Soph, 6.4, 5.0 - nets 56 percent of his shots, 12th in the Mountain West in rebounding at 5.1, third in the league in blocked shots at 1.4
G - Jackson Emery, 6-3, Jr, 12.4, 4.5 - 4th in Mountain West in field goal percentage at 48.9, 42 percent shooter from 3, led league in steals at 2.7
G - Tyler Haws, 6-5, Fr, 11.3, 4.2 - led Mountain West in free throwing at 91.2, on a current run of 44 straight made free throws
G - Jimmer Fredette, 6-2, Jr, 22.1, 3.2 - scored 29 of his 37 points in the second half Thursday vs. Florida, leading Mountain West scorer at 22.1 per game, third in the league in assists at 4.7, set a Mountain West Tourney record by scoring 75 points last week
Top Reserve - Michael Loyd Jr, 6-1, Soph, 5.2, 1.3 - came off the bench to score 26 point while playing 35 minutes on Thursday against Florida