Securing a roster spot on an NBA team is a little like winning the lottery. Only three percent of high school basketball players will play in the NCAA, and only 1.2% of that three percent make it to the NBA. Put another way, just three out of 10,000 male high school basketball players will eventually have their names called during the NBA Draft. Jimmer Fredette was one of those lucky few.
Fredette was selected by the Sacramento Kings with the 10th pick of the 2011 draft, and subsequently traded to the Sacramento Kings. He averaged almost 20 minutes a game his rookie season, but didn’t have the impact the team had hoped for and his time on the court diminished. After bouncing between several teams, he got sent down to the NBA Development League.
BYU BMOC
In 2011, Fredette’s seemingly unlimited shooting range was the toast of the sports world. As a senior, he led the NCAA in scoring, averaging 28.9 points per game with the Brigham Young University Cougars. At the end of the season, he was named National Player of the Year, and added the Wooden Award, Naismith Award, Adolph Rupp Trophy and Oscar Robertson Trophy to his hardware collection.
Fredette capped his dream year off in true Big Man on Campus fashion, by marrying Whitney, a BYU cheerleader and fellow Morman.
D-LEAGUE REVIVAL
Fredette didn’t let his demotion to the D-League dent his offensive game. In his debut with the Westchester Knicks, the six-foot-two guard scored 37 points on 12-17 shooting and dished out eight assists.
Earlier this month, Fredette led the East All-Star team to a 128–124 win over the West. He was awarded the All-Star Game MVP trophy after recording 35 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists and one steal in 25 minutes.
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Fredette’s D-League heroics earned him a 10-day contract with the New York Knicks and in his first game back on the big stage he hit his only shot — a three-pointer. Will the Big Apple be Jimmered? Stay tuned…
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