BYU basketball: Fredette is doing well in workouts, Rose says

PROVO — Jimmer Fredette is finding out this week exactly what he wants to know from NBA scouts, and they're finding out exactly what they want to know about him.

Come Saturday morning, after meeting with his family and BYU coach Dave Rose, Fredette will announce whether he's returning to BYU for his senior season or remaining in the NBA Draft.

"I think he's excited for how things have turned out for him. The feedback that he's getting is what he's looking for ... it's been a really good experience to this point," Rose said.

The BYU point guard, who declared for the NBA Draft but did not hire an agent, has traveled alone this week to work out for two NBA teams and will work out with two more before Friday night. On Monday, he worked out for the Oklahoma City Thunder. On Wednesday, he showcased his skills for the Boston Celtics. He has another workout scheduled for Thursday and another for Friday, before flying back to Provo on Friday night.

"These teams have called, and they have real interest in Jimmer. He's done real well in the first two workouts, and I expect him to do well in the next two," Rose said.

Rose said Fredette, because of time constraints, turned down a few other workout offers. The deadline for pulling out of the draft is Saturday.

"It's been a very busy period for Jimmer. There's a lot of interest in him in the NBA," Rose said.

Fredette's workouts have involved a lot of skills testing. Rose has asked Fredette how he feels about his performance on the tests but hasn't asked about how the workouts have affected his upcoming decision.

Despite battling mononucleosis for much of last season, and losing about 10 pounds because of the illness, Fredette still averaged 22 points per game for the Cougars and earned multiple Mountain West Conference and national honors. He scored a BYU record 49 against Arizona and also scored 45 against TCU in the MWC tournament.

"He's done a really good job of getting himself back in good physical shape. ... He's got his weight up, and he's got good strength. I think what he's done mostly is work on skill things. He's pretty dedicated. He's a kid that spends a lot of time in the gym. He loves to play," Rose said.

Fredette said two weeks ago that he'd only remain in the draft if confident that he'll be a first-round selection. If Fredette does not return to BYU, Rose said the coaching staff is prepared to make the adjustments.

"These things don't come at you blind. ... We knew going into last year that there was a chance that Jimmer could have a great year and look into the situation with the draft, and he did just that," Rose said.

e-mail: jimr@desnews.com