by David Cassilo / @dcassilo
The National Player of the Year talk for Jimmer Fredette got a bit louder Wednesday night after his 43 points helped BYU knock off previously unbeaten San Diego State, 71-58.
Fredette was nearly unstoppable, hitting 14-of-24 shots from the field. He was just one of two Cougars to score in double figures, but that was enough to get past the Azetcs.
San Diego State’s star Kawhi Leonard had a great game in his own right, finishing with 22 points and 15 rebounds, despite battling an illness. However, the rest of his team combined to make just 14 shots, and the Aztecs fell from the ranks of the unbeaten.
The night belonged to Fredette, and his performance turned heads, even among NBA players.
From The Deseret News:
For Fredette, it was the 15th time he has scored over 30 points in his career and his fifth game with more than 40. It’s only the second time he’s scored more than 30 points at the Marriott Center. He had 36 last season against Utah.
“It wasn’t a goal of mine to score 40,” Fredette said, who nailed 14-of-24 from the floor, including five 3-pointers. “It was a goal to try to win the game.”
The nation was paying close attention to this game, and so, too was NBA star Kevin Durant, who declared on his Facebook page after the game, “Jimmer Fredette is the best scorer in the world!”
And then there was one. With San Diego State losing, Ohio State is now the only unbeaten team in the country. All eyes will be on the Buckeyes this Saturday when they try to avoid major upset at Northwestern.
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