BYU basketball: Jimmer Fredette wins more praise from ESPN

The success that BYU's Jimmer Fredette is having this year isn't going unnoticed. Many of the top analysts from ESPN are giving him nothing but praise. Here is what the experts have to say.

On Jan. 20, NBA player and current ESPN television analyst Tim Legler said in an interview with ESPN's Steve Levy on SportsCenter, "He's going to be able to find a way because of that quick-trigger. When you get rid of it that quick, you can be 6-foot-2 in the NBA and find a niche. Will he be a top 10 pick? Not necessarily. But he will find his niche in the league. In the right system, he's going to have an impact."

He also added that Fredette reminds him of two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash with his great range and ability to shoot off the dribble.

On Jan. 14, ESPN's Jay Bilas on his weekly report said, "He's an unbelievable scorer. He is for real and a player of the year candidate."

On Jan. 12, ESPN's Scott Van Pelt in his podcast "One Big Thing" said "a little kid from Glens Falls, New York, who was going bananas in Utah" referring to the 47 points Fredette scored against the Utah Utes. If you want to listen to the three-minute portion of the podcast, it starts at the five-minute mark.

Also on Jan. 12, ESPN.com's Andy Katz said, "Jimmer Fredette of BYU is a serious candidate to win national player of the year honors."

On Jan. 8, on an ESPN SportsNation chat, Dick Vitale was asked if Fredette could win player of the year even with the MWC's limited exposure? "Yes, he can definitely win it. He is closing the gap on Kemba Walker of Connecticut, who was the early-season leader. You can't hide 47- and 39-point games against solid opponents."

Just recently, Fredette has also been named Vitale's player of the week the last two weeks. "The All-Solid Gold candidate had 47 points and six assists against rival Utah in a 104-79 rout. This is the second week in a row Fredette has been named my player of the week!"

After BYU's 94-85 win over Colorado State, CSU coach Tim Miles said, "The guy handles the ball like Curly Neal (of the Harlem Globetrotters)."

Some other impressive figures from ESPN Stats & Information: "Jimmer Fredette became the first player in Division I this season with a pair of 40-point games. He scored 47 points on Jan. 11 against Utah.

"Fredette has played in six road games this season and has scored at least 34 points four times. In fact, Fredette is averaging 35.5 points per game on the road this season."

Mike Whitelock is an author, sports writer.