BYU basketball: Jimmer Fredette is a more crafty player at the USA team camp

"He knows how to play. He's definitely dangerous when he gets into the lane, because he can make a lot of things happen," Romar said.

Even though some feel Fredette's defensive abilities are questionable, assistant Select Team and Villanova coach Jay Wright doesn't see it as a weakness.

"He doesn't have that quickness and athleticism as some of these guys, but he's crafty," Wright said. "I really like his game. He's smart enough to play an intuitive enough style of defense that I really think he can play at the next level."

Fredette's experience this week is a taste of the kind of notoriety that lies ahead for the upcoming season. He'll likely begin the year with a load of preseason honors and the weight of the expectations that go with them. But he's not too worried about the pressure of living up those expectations.

"It's going to be fun," he said. "I'm really looking forward to it."

e-mail: jimr@desnews.com