Frustration about Fredette Hype

In the Deseret News last week, an article explained how the BYU men’s basketball team has grown in skills and in team chemistry because of the attention that the superstar, Jimmer Fredette has been getting. The papers, TV, and BYU’s opponents have been paying so much attention to Fredette that it actually gives the other players a chance to shine while being neglected by defenders that leave to help guard Jimmer, or not having to deal with the expectations of being the superstar. The outside talk about the amazing senior is a great thing for his teammates and, not to mention, this hype has barely phased Jimmer himself!
In tonight’s game against the UNLV Rebels, however, we did see someone affected by this season’s BYU fame.
It wasn’t Jimmer, that’s for sure. In the mid-second half, Fredette fired a LONG three and, surprise!… nailed it--my personal favorite play for tonight. He also scored over thirty points and dished a beautiful fast break to Jackson Emery for the play of the game.
And, it definitely wasn’t Jackson Emery. He scored his career-high of 23 points tonight; and, along with finishing the play of the game, played huge defense and with great hustle. Coach Dave Rose proudly (and with a big smile) stated that “[Jackson was] shooting with a lot of confidence,”--confidence that most certainly oozed through in his performance tonight.
Ok, it’s obviously not a Cougar who was troubled by the Jimmer chatter.
The frustrated Quintrell Thomas of UNLV undeniably showed his anger when he faced the team from Provo tonight. In the second half, there was a messy rebound by Thomas, but when a cougar attempted to steal it, and fouled him, Thomas threw a feisty elbow that resulted in a flagrant foul.
With the cougars never really phased by the tight, full-court defense that the Rebels played, and winning for the first time in five years in Las Vegas, Quintrell Thomas was probably not the only heated Rebel this evening.
And, aside the raging Rebels, there was plenty of happy Cougs. As expected from BYU, Jackson and Jimmer were not the only guys working hard.
As Jimmer said, it was “a great, all-around effort for all of [them].”
(BYU-89, UNLV-77)