BYU Cougars

Reliving Jimmer Fredette's best BYU basketball performances

Updated Mar. 5, 2020 1:37 a.m. ET

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Jimmer Fredette is a BYU basketball legend. The most electrifying Cougar left for the NBA six years ago, so let’s relive his six greatest games.

Jimmer Fredette is the best in BYU basketball history. No player was as exciting as The Jimmer and he gave the Cougars the best years in program history.

Since leaving BYU, things haven’t been so good for Fredette. He’s bounced around the NBA and the D-League and now calls China “home.”

Playing with the Shanghai Sharks, Jimmer is the best player in the Chinese Basketball Association. The newly nicknamed “Lonely God” is averaging 37 points per game and has the Sharks in first place.

But for now, let’s take a look back at Jimmer Fredette’s best performances for BYU basketball.

Honorable Mention: BYU basketball vs Nevada, 2009 – 33 points

Jimmer Fredette had put up some good numbers as a sophomore, but his junior season was a revelation. He began the year scoring 20+ in six of his first 11 games, then really turned things up against Nevada.

In the Orleans Arena, Fredette dropped 33 points and dished out six assists. He was a perfect 9-9 from the free throw line and led the Cougars to a 110-104 victory.

Jimmermania was born.

The next night, Fredette would lead the Cougars over the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

No. 6: BYU basketball vs TCU, 2010 – 45 points

Fredette wasn’t named the MWC Player of the Year, and responded in a big way in the MWC tournament. In the Cougars’ first tournament game against TCU, Jimmer exploded for BYU basketball. He scored 45 points and went 23-for-24 at the free throw line, leading BYU to an 85-75 victory.

No. 5: BYU basketball at Utah, 2011 – 47 points

Jimmer led the Cougars up north to Salt Lake, marched right into the Hunstman Center, and proceeded to wreck the Utes on their own court.

Fredette dropped 47 points on 16-of-28 shooting (6-of-9 from 3-point range) and the Cougars beat the Utes 104-79.

The Cougars were ranked No. 10 at the time and were just starting to pick up some national notoriety.

No. 4: BYU basketball vs Florida, 2010 – 37 points

The NCAA Tournament is what college basketball is all about. Every team wants to be in the big dance – whether a favorite, a dark horse or a Cinderella team. BYU hadn’t been on the winning end of many tourney games, but Fredette was trying to change that.

Jimmer led the Cougars to a double-overtime victory over the Gators, 99-92. He scored 37 points in the win and shot 50 percent from the field.

The win snapped a streak of seven-straight first-round losses for the Cougars.

No. 3: BYU basketball vs San Diego State, 2011 – 43 points

The Cougars and Aztecs squared off in what might be the biggest MWC game in history in 2011 in the Marriott Center.

BYU was ranked No. 9 and SDSU was ranked No. 4. The two schools were a combined 39-1 entering the game.

It was big.

Jimmer, like he did so often, rose to the occasion. He scored 43 points on 14-of-24 shooting and went 10-for-11 at the free throw line.

No. 2: BYU basketball vs New Mexico, 2011 – 52 points

BYU basketball hadn’t beat New Mexico that season. The Cougars were 0-2 against the Lobos, losing by a combined 27 points.

The two teams were set to meet in the MWC tourney, and the Cougars were determined to get a win.

Enter Jimmer.

Fredette dropped a career-high 52 on the Lobos, breaking his own MWC tourney scoring record. He was 22-of-37 from the field, hit seven 3-pointers and – amazingly – hit just one free throw.

It was one of the best individual performances in BYU basketball history.

No. 1: BYU basketball at Arizona, 2009 – 49 points

This is Jimmer’s best all-around game. He scored 49 points, dished out nine assists and pulled in seven rebounds. And he did it all on the road.

It was incredible.

Jimmer was 16-of-23 on the night, hitting nine 3-pointers. He was 8-of-9 from the free throw line and led the Cougars to a 99-69 blowout victory.

Good times. Good times, indeed.

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