Catching Up with Jimmer Fredette

Junior point guard Jimmer Fredette took time to answer questions about his summer, playing at the Marriott Center and his goals for next season.

BYUCougars.com: You were inducted into the Capital District Basketball Hall of Fame earlier this summer. What is it like to be in the same hall of fame as Pat Riley and Sam Perkins?

JF: It is a great honor to be in the Hall of Fame in the Capital District for the past 50 years. There have been many great players to come out of the area and just to be recognized with names like Pat Riley and Sam Perkins is a huge honor.

BYUCougars.com: What are you focusing on basketball wise this summer? What part of your game do you hope to improve?

JF: I’ve been working on a lot of things this summer to improve my all around game. I’ve been doing a lot of ball screen work, shooting a lot of pull up jumpers and I’ve been working on ball handling and my defensive quickness. I need to improve in every area of the game but those four were my main focuses for the summer.

BYUCougars.com: What are some of the key factors that have aided your development as a player? What motivates you as a player?

JF: Growing up in a basketball family especially on my mother’s side I grew up watching and studying the game all the time. I was fortunate enough to have an older brother who let me play with him all the time at the parks with his friends. They really pushed me hard and made me tougher as a player and a person. I really have been motivated by the doubters that might have thought I couldn't have played basketball at a high level. I just think of it as a challenge and that makes me go harder.

BYUCougars.com: If you could play another sport at BYU, what would it be and why?

JF: I would for sure play football. That was my second favorite sport and I played wide receiver in high school. I was ok at it but I didn't like practices as much as basketball so that was my drawback at football. Plus I would love to play in front of 65,000 fans every game.

BYUCougars.com: What is something you enjoy about being at home during the summer?

JF: I love to get back home and see my family and friends for a while. I don't get to see them a whole lot any more so when I get back I like to enjoy the moments. We always will go to the old spots like Angelina's (which is our great friend’s pizza spot), and get ice cream a lot. We also play tons of basketball and mini golf, which I'm not too bad at.

BYUCougars.com: You had some big games last year in the Marriott Center. What is the most creative nickname a fan has given you or the most creative thing a fan has said to you?

JF: There were a couple of great signs last year at the games. I love to see fans making signs for me and I try to read them all before the games start. I really enjoyed the one that said ‘Jimmer will you marry me?’ on it, and the one that said ‘Jimmer please add me on facebook.’ I would have done it too but I just don't have a facebook. My brother is the king of nicknames though and has given me probably 15 over the years. My favorites are Clemenza, or Young Clem, and Cheeks.

BYUCougars.com: What was it like to go from first guy off the bench as a freshman to becoming a first-team All-MWC guard as a sophomore?

JF: It was a great step of progression for me as a player. I was able to be a little more aggressive last year and I was able to do a pretty good job. I know I need to improve even more for this year because there are still a lot of things I need to do better. I’m glad I’m in the position that I’m in and hopefully will continue to play even better than before.

BYUCougars.com: Talk about your role entering your junior year.

JF: Now that I have a lot more college experience I need to be consistent over the course of a whole season and be one of the leaders on the team. We have a lot of guys that are very talented players and leaders and I know that I need to help everyone around me get better. Hopefully I can just be there for anyone that needs help on or off the court.

BYUCougars.com: What is it like to play in front of a sold out Marriott Center?

JF: To play in front of a sellout crowd especially at the Marriot Center is my favorite thing to do in this world. I love having all of our fans there, cheering us on as we compete on the floor. To me there is no better feeling than winning in front of a sellout crowd at home. So I hope to have a lot of games like that this season.

BYUCougars.com: What are your goals for the 2009-10 season?

JF: Our team goals are to win the Mountain West Conference regular and tournament championships, win in the NCAA tournament and get into the top 25, which is no different from any other season. We feel we have a good enough team to accomplish all of these goals. As for me I hope I have a great season and do anything needed to help my team win.