College Basketball Capsules: BYU guard has unfinished business
PROVO, Utah (AP) — The rap sequel to "Amazing" has already been written by his older brother; now it’s up to BYU preseason All-America Jimmer Fredette to live up to the hype.
"We just touched the surface ... of the purpose ... we’ve been working for"
If those words don’t say enough, TJ Fredette explains in plain English why the star guard for the 23rd-ranked Cougars pulled his name out of the NBA draft to return to Provo.
"More than anything, he felt like there was unfinished business at BYU," said the oldest Fredette brother, who is climbing his own ladder as a rap artist after his song "Amazing" gained attention during the NCAA tournament last season.
That means winning a Mountain West Conference championship, something BYU failed to do last year, and advancing at least to the third round of the NCAAs.
BYU made it to the second round last season, thanks in part to Jimmer Fredette’s leadership and ability to create shots, including 37 points in the Cougars’ double-overtime victory over Florida.
If the effort thrust the 21-year-old into the national spotlight, TJ Fredette already knew his kid brother was headed there.
Just go back a dozen years when TJ had Jimmer dribbling in the dark, or with a work glove on his hand, or through a darkened gauntlet in the church hallway filled with friends popping out of doorways to test Jimmer’s concentration.
It makes those keys Earl Woods jingled while Tiger putted seem tame.
Granted, Jimmer Fredette wasn’t hitting 3s for a national TV audience before he hit kindergarten. But mental and physical toughness were built into the Glens Falls, N.Y., native from an early age.
His uncle, Lee Taft, aka The Speed Guy, is a renowned fitness expert who teaches classes and conducts seminars on agility training. Taft had the Fredette boys go through some of the same workouts by the time they hit middle school.
And when a neighbor’s uncle suggested the boys, once they were 18, take their game to the prisons, where the uncle ran various recreational programs for inmates on good behavior, they jumped at the chance.
"They see you walk in, ‘Oh, little white boy over here tryin’ to play against us,’ " Jimmer Fredette recalled of that first trip to Mount McGregor, a medium-security facility in upstate New York where riding the prison bus up the hill and hearing metal doors slam shut was part of the experience.
Jimmer Fredette, with 40 points in his first game against the inmates, immediately earned the respect of the inmates on the court and in the stands.
"It only took one of those crossover moves for them to really like him," TJ Fredette said.
Now, in his final season at BYU, Jimmer Fredette is ready to step up his game again.
"He’s a pretty special player when he gets going," BYU coach Dave Rose said. "He’s such a confident offensive player. Then there’s a variety of ways he can score. He can go to his left, score going to his right, (drive to) the basket, (shoot) from 10 feet, or (hit) 3-pointers and he’s a great free-throw shooter. I don’t think there’s a situation one-on-one where he can’t handle himself and get a pretty good look at the basket."
In the season-opener against Fresno State on Friday, he did just that, leading all scorers with 24 points. He ignited a BYU run midway through the first half with a spin move that saw him make the shot and draw a foul even as he was falling down. He’d get another shot up and over Fresno State’s 6-10 center for two more.
It helped that he spent the summer mixing it up in Las Vegas with some of the NBA’s best as part of a select team composed of 20 top college players.
Denver Nuggets guard Chauncey Billups said he was curious to see how Fredette could handle pressure but came away impressed after seeing him keep up a good pace.
"Everybody knows he can score," Billups said. "I think he’s got to prove to everybody that he can run the show and affect the game without scoring. As a point guard, if you can affect the game without scoring, then you really improve your odds of success."
BYU teammate Noah Hartsock said Fredette not only helped himself but brought that experience back to Provo to improve the team.
"It gave me confidence that I can play at that level," Jimmer Fredette said of his time with Team USA.
Just not this season. Now it’s about keeping pace with No. 25 San Diego State, which is favored to win the Mountain West because it returns five starters (compared to three for BYU).
"Jimmer doesn’t look like he’s going to be a 30-point or 40-point scorer," backcourt teammate Jackson Emery said. "You look at him and say, ‘Maybe if I leave him open, he’s going to get his points.’ Jimmer just creates ways he can score. I think a lot of people underestimate him. Last year he proved he can do a lot of things. I think he’ll do the same this year."
Far from arrogant, Jimmer Fredette is more shy and quiet than anything.
When he isn’t working out, he can be found at the dollar theater or watching a movie at his apartment.
"Shawshank Redemption" is his favorite, but not because of his prison hoops experience. He likes movies that make people think, with well-written plots and stories with good endings.
He’s hopeful his own will end in the frenzy that is March Madness.
Barkley, TNT NBA analysts to join NCAA coverage
NEW YORK (AP) — Look out, March Madness. Charles Barkley is coming.
CBS and Turner executives confirmed Tuesday that the brash Hall of Famer and other big names from TNT’s NBA broadcasts would be part of their joint coverage of the NCAA tournament starting this season.
Expect Marv Albert to call some early round games and Barkley and Kenny Smith to offer analysis from the studio under the 14-year, $10.8 billion deal the two companies signed in April.
Tournament games will air on CBS and three of Turner’s cable channels: TNT, TBS and truTV. Sports chiefs Sean McManus of CBS and David Levy of Turner said at the Sports Media & Technology conference in New York that the companies would combine their rosters of basketball commentators.
CBS will still broadcast the Final Four each year through 2015, so the network’s lead team of Jim Nantz and Clark Kellogg will keep calling the national semifinal and championship games, though a third person could join the crew.
Michigan signs Southfield product
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Michigan's basketball team has signed guard Carlton Brundidge to a letter of intent.
The Wolverines announced the signing Tuesday. It's their second of the early signing period after landing guard Trey Burke last week.
Brundidge, of Southfield, averaged 24.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists as a junior. He earned special mention all-state honors from The Associated Press.
Michigan coach John Beilein says he likes Brundidge's strength and competitiveness. As a sophomore, he averaged 24.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists.
St. John's adds another top recruit
NEW YORK (AP) — Steve Lavin just keeps adding to his first recruiting class at St. John's
On Tuesday, just hours after the Red Storm lost to Saint Mary's in their season opener, Lavin announced that 6-foot-9 forward Dwight Meikle of Quality Education Academy in North Carolina became the seventh player to sign a national letter of intent with St. John's.
Meikle, a native of Uniondale, N.Y., is averaging 13.2 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.2 blocks for Quality Education Academy where he is a teammate of fellow St. John's recruit Sir' Dominic Pointer.
The five high school players signed by Lavin were all rated in the 100 prospects by scouting services. He also signed junior college point guard Nurideen Lindsey of Philadelphia.
Men's Top 25
Curry scores 17 to lead Duke a win
DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Seth Curry scored 17 points and No. 1 Duke routed Miami of Ohio 79-45 on Tuesday night in the second round of the CBE Classic.
Kyrie Irving added 13 points and Mason Plumlee had 10 points and a career-high 14 rebounds for the Blue Devils (2-0). They shot 43 percent from the field, hit 40 percent of their 3-pointers, held a 48-27 rebounding advantage and used two overwhelming runs in the first half to effectively end it by halftime.
Nick Winbush scored 14 points for the RedHawks (1-1), who were held to 33 percent shooting in losing their 15th straight game against ranked opponents.
Curry, the younger brother of Golden State guard Stephen Curry who sat out last season after transferring from Liberty, was 3 of 4 from 3-point range.
No. 2 Michigan St. 82, South Carolina 73
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Durrell Summers had 22 points, Draymond Green scored 18 and Delvon Roe added 15 for Michigan State.
The Spartans (2-0) led 42-25 at halftime, but had the lead cut to single digits early in the second half and couldn't pull away because they made too many turnovers and gave up a lot of 3-pointers.
Freshman Bruce Ellington, who finished with 22 points, made a shot from beyond the arc that pulled the Gamecocks (1-1) within six points with 2:13 left to play, but they couldn't get closer.
Michigan State made 19 turnovers and gave up 11 3-pointers.
The 10 p.m. EST tipoff allowed Roe, a theatre major, to have a unique night.
He played Charles the wrestler in Shakespeare's "As You Like It" on campus in a performance that started about 2½ hours before the game did.
No. 4 Ohio St. 93, No. 9 Florida 75
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Freshman Jared Sullinger and senior David Lighty both scored 26 points to lead Ohio State.
The Buckeyes used a nearly flawless second half to turn a small deficit into a double-digit lead.
William Buford added 16 points for the Buckeyes (2-0), who hit 24 of 34 shots in the second half and broke down Florida's press with relative ease. Jon Diebler added 14.
The Gators (1-1) shot 61 percent from the field and led by seven points in the first half. But they had no answer for Sullinger in the paint and had even more trouble slowing down Lighty.
Kenny Boynton led Florida with 21 points.
The Buckeyes shots 63 percent from the field and 43 percent from 3-point range.
No. 6 Villanova 84, Marist 47
VILLANOVA, Pa. (AP) — Maalik Wayns scored 17 points and Dominic Cheek had 15 to lead Villanova in the NIT Season Tip-Off.
Jay Bowie had 14 points for Marist (0-1), which extended Division I's longest losing streak to 19 games.
Villanova (2-0) had an easy time against the overmatched Red Foxes, who were 1-29 last season. The Wildcats have won 39 straight games at The Pavilion.
Villanova used a 19-1 run to take a 24-9 lead in the first half. Marist went 16 straight possessions without a field goal during that stretch. Wayns and Cheek each scored seven points during the run.
Villanova was just 3 for 15 from 3-point range in the first half, but hit the first four from beyond the arc in the second half.
No. 10 Syracuse 66, Detroit 55
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — Scoop Jardine scored a career-high 27 points and Rick Jackson had 10 points and a career-best 22 rebounds for Syracuse in the Legends Classic.
Syracuse (3-0) trailed for much of the first half and finally broke open the game with two big runs in the second to foil the upset bid by Detroit (0-2).
Eli Holman had 17 points and 10 rebounds, Jason Calliste had 16 points and Chase Simon 11 for Detroit.
Jardine, who had eight assists and five steals, scored 12 points in the first six minutes of the second half to lead Syracuse on a 17-4 run that erased a 28-25 halftime deficit.
No. 25 San Diego St. 79, No. 11 Gonzaga 76
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Billy White scored a career-high 30 points and San Diego State dealt Gonzaga its fifth home loss at the McCarthey Athletic Center since it opened in 2004.
Kawhi Leonard added 18 points for San Diego State (2-0), which is ranked in the AP Top 25 for the first time in school history.
Steven Gray scored a career-high 35 points for Gonzaga (2-1), which had not lost at home since Dec. 5, 2009, to Wake Forest. Gray scored 14 of the Rams' final 15 points, but turned the ball over in the closing seconds.
The Bulldogs made just 5 of 18 3-pointers.
San Diego State coach Steve Fisher is 200-149 in 12 seasons with the Aztecs.
Gonzaga is 77-5 in the McCarthey Athletic Center in 2004.
Louisville 88, No. 16 Butler 73
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Rakeem Buckles scored 17 points and Louisville christened its new downtown arena with the upset win.
Terrence Jennings added 13 points and eight rebounds while Elijah Justice and Preston Knowles added 12 points each as the Cardinals withstood a late surge by the Bulldogs to open the KFC Yum! Center with a win.
Shelvin Mack tied a career-high with 25 points for Butler (1-1) and Matt Howard had 23 points and nine rebounds, but the Bulldogs shot just 35 percent from the field and couldn't overcome a 24-point deficit.
Butler never led and trailed 50-26 midway through the second half before eventually climbing within 68-57.
No. 17 Washington 98, E. Washington 72
SEATTLE (AP) — Justin Holiday scored eight of his career-high 18 points during Washington's 20-5 run to open the second half.
Center Matthew Bryan-Amaning posted his second double-double in as many games for the Huskies (2-0), who overcame a sluggish first half to rout Eastern Washington.
Kevin Winford led the Eagles (0-2) with 14 points.
The Eagles, who lost to Division II Seattle Pacific and Montana State-Billings in their exhibition games, didn't blink against the preseason favorites in the Pac-10. If not for 14 first-half turnovers, the Eagles might have found themselves in the lead, thanks largely to a passive Washington defense that gave open shots and second chances.
No. 24 Tennessee 85, Belmont 76
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Scotty Hopson scored 18 points and Tennessee hung on in the first round of the NIT Season Tip-Off.
Tennessee (2-0) held a 71-54 lead with 7:01 to play, but Belmont's Drew Hanlen had three 3-pointers as part of a 22-6 run to cut that lead to a point. Mick Hedgepeth hit one free throw but missed a second that would have tied the game with 36.6 seconds left.
Cameron Tatum hit two foul shots for Tennessee and Ian Clark missed another chance to tie the game on a clean 3-point shot that bounced off the rim. The Vols hit their last eight free throws to preserve the win.
Freshman Tobias Harris had 16 points and Tatum finished with 14.
Clark led Belmont (0-1) with 18 points.
The Vols advance to play Missouri State in the second round on Wednesday night for a chance to travel to New York City for the semifinals.
Women's Top 25
Two 3s help Georgetown top Maryland
WASHINGTON (AP) — Georgetown ended a 10-minute scoring drought with back-to-back 3-pointers late in the second half as the No. 13 Hoyas earned their first victory over No. 21 Maryland, 53-45 on Tuesday.
Hobbled with leg cramps, Rubylee Wright made a 3-pointer with 1:39 left to give Georgetown (2-0) a 46-45 lead. Sugar Rodgers followed with another 3 seconds later to give the Hoyas breathing room and move to 1-8 against the Terrapins (1-1). Rodgers scored a game-high 21 points.
Maryland was hindered by turnovers (29) and poor shooting (18 percent overall). Lynetta Kizer had 10 points and 16 rebounds to lead Maryland.
No. 20 St. John's 77, Manhattan 51
NEW YORK (AP) — Shenneika Smith scored 17 points and No. 20 St. John's routed Manhattan.
Sky Lindsay and Coco Hart each added 12 for the Red Storm (2-1), who ran out to a 40-19 halftime lead.
Abby Wentworth scored 14 points and Lindsey Loutsenhizer added 11 for the Jaspers (1-1).
No. 22 Iowa 91, Bradley 53
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Jaime Printy led five players in double figures with 21 points and No. 22 Iowa cruised in its home opener.
Kamille Wahlin added 17 points for the Hawkeyes (3-0), who improved to 5-0 against the Braves.
Iowa had little trouble disposing of Bradley (1-1), racing out to a 44-24 lead at halftime while holding the Braves to just 28 percent shooting.
Iowa's Kachine Alexander had 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Kelly Krei and Hannah Draxten each scored 12 points. Raisa Taylor had 18 points but six turnovers for Bradley.
