Jimmer Fredette Biography
Jimmer Fredette
Fredette was born February 25, 1989, in Glens Falls, New York, to Al and Kay Fredette, the youngest of three children. Named James Taft, Fredette later received the nickname "Jimmer" from his mother.
From his early childhood, he showed unusual dedication to athletics, his older brother TJ recalling, "He was the most determined, competitive four-year-old I had ever seen." TJ, an aspiring rapper, helped train him for his basketball career since before kindergarten. He regularly played with TJ, seven years older, and TJ's friends on the family's backyard court. Fredette was able to hit three-pointers at age 5, and developed moves to get around his larger opponents. TJ also remembered that his brother "willed himself to find ways to win, even if he was physically outmatched. From the time he was 10, I was telling everybody he was going to make the NBA."
Other family members assisted Fredette in his development. His father, a financial adviser, introduced Jimmer to schoolyard competition against adults at age 8. As Jimmer developed, his father took him on occasional road trips to Hartford and New York City for more intense competition, and also helped to coach his AAU teams. His mother allowed him to bounce basketballs throughout the house, and even built a dribbling studio for him in their basement. Her brother Lee Taft, a personal trainer who now operates a speed training school in Indianapolis, started him on running drills as a 5-year-old, and still works with Fredette.
Jimmer also has an older sister, Lindsay, Miss Teen New York 1998. Fredette's father became a Mormon at the age of 18 after meeting missionary Kimball Rogers—the father of Fredette's BYU teammate Stephen Rogers—while his mother is a Catholic. Fredette, along with his two older siblings, chose to become Mormons after their parents allowed them to choose their religion.
Playing style and personality
In a January 2011 article, Sports Illustrated writer Kelli Anderson said about Fredette's playing style,
“ Facing the opposition's best defender (or, more often, defenders), he pulls up going right or going left. He shoots off the dribble, off the wrong foot, off balance, off the glass. He finishes in traffic with a dozen deft moves, including a funky scoop shot, originating from his waist, that he can make with either hand.”
He has even been noted by several collegiate and NBA players across the country. Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder posted on his Twitter account that "Jimmer Fredette is the greatest scorer in the world!!", while Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns tweeted "Jimmer Fredette? Man, that name's straight outta Hoosiers. No wonder he never misses...". Jared Sullinger, a forward at Ohio State University, said "Yooo Jimmer is going off right now. Pure scorer."
Other facets of his personality have been noted by other college coaches. Former Utah coach Jim Boylen has cited "swagger and confidence" as Fredette's biggest weapons, and Villanova's Jay Wright has also remarked favorably on Fredette's on-court aggressiveness, comparing him to Pete Maravich in that respect. However, according to Anderson, Fredette "is fiercely competitive while remaining unassuming and likable," noting that Arizona coach Sean Miller hugged Fredette after he scored 49 on the Wildcats, and the Utah fans who saw Fredette score 47 on the Utes in January 2011 gave him an ovation as he left the court.
Jimmer describes his older brother TJ as his biggest fan and supporter. TJ, whose song "Amazing" was written for his brother, said, "I see him play, and it gives me chills sometimes when he hits some of those big shots and the crowd is going crazy."
In an article published in Sports Illustrated, Marcus Morris, a forward at KU, noted the work ethic and moral character Fredette exhibited while at USA Basketball camp. Said he, "He’s got heart. You can see he has a feel for the game, and he can SHOOT IT from anywhere. Even if you try to box-and-one the guy, he brings it up and just pulls up from the hashmark. That’s tough to guard."
An unusual set of Fredette fans reside in the Mount McGregor Correctional Facility, a medium security prison, where he and his older brother played games with the inmates. Fredette credits these experiences as helping with his focus in rough situations.
James Taft "Jimmer" Fredette (born February 25, 1989) is an American basketball player who gained national fame during his college career at Brigham Young University. In 2011, he was the leading scorer in NCAA Division I basketball, and earned several National Player of the Year honors, including the Wooden Award, the Naismith Award, the Adolph Rupp Trophy, and the Oscar Robertson Trophy.Fredette is a native of Glens Falls, New York.
Early life
Fredette was born February 25, 1989, in Glens Falls, New York, to Al and Kay Fredette, the youngest of three children. Named James Taft, Fredette later received the nickname "Jimmer" from his mother.
From his early childhood, he showed unusual dedication to athletics, his older brother TJ recalling, "He was the most determined, competitive four-year-old I had ever seen." TJ, an aspiring rapper, helped train him for his basketball career since before kindergarten. He regularly played with TJ, seven years older, and TJ's friends on the family's backyard court. Fredette was able to hit three-pointers at age 5, and developed moves to get around his larger opponents. TJ also remembered that his brother "willed himself to find ways to win, even if he was physically outmatched. From the time he was 10, I was telling everybody he was going to make the NBA."
Other family members assisted Fredette in his development. His father, a financial adviser, introduced Jimmer to schoolyard competition against adults at age 8. As Jimmer developed, his father took him on occasional road trips to Hartford and New York City for more intense competition, and also helped to coach his AAU teams. His mother allowed him to bounce basketballs throughout the house, and even built a dribbling studio for him in their basement. Her brother Lee Taft, a personal trainer who now operates a speed training school in Indianapolis, started him on running drills as a 5-year-old, and still works with Fredette.
Jimmer also has an older sister, Lindsay, Miss Teen New York 1998. Fredette's father became a Mormon at the age of 18 after meeting missionary Kimball Rogers—the father of Fredette's BYU teammate Stephen Rogers—while his mother is a Catholic. Fredette, along with his two older siblings, chose to become Mormons after their parents allowed them to choose their religion.
In a January 2011 article, Sports Illustrated writer Kelli Anderson said about Fredette's playing style,
“ Facing the opposition's best defender (or, more often, defenders), he pulls up going right or going left. He shoots off the dribble, off the wrong foot, off balance, off the glass. He finishes in traffic with a dozen deft moves, including a funky scoop shot, originating from his waist, that he can make with either hand.”
He has even been noted by several collegiate and NBA players across the country. Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder posted on his Twitter account that "Jimmer Fredette is the greatest scorer in the world!!", while Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns tweeted "Jimmer Fredette? Man, that name's straight outta Hoosiers. No wonder he never misses...". Jared Sullinger, a forward at Ohio State University, said "Yooo Jimmer is going off right now. Pure scorer."
Other facets of his personality have been noted by other college coaches. Former Utah coach Jim Boylen has cited "swagger and confidence" as Fredette's biggest weapons, and Villanova's Jay Wright has also remarked favorably on Fredette's on-court aggressiveness, comparing him to Pete Maravich in that respect. However, according to Anderson, Fredette "is fiercely competitive while remaining unassuming and likable," noting that Arizona coach Sean Miller hugged Fredette after he scored 49 on the Wildcats, and the Utah fans who saw Fredette score 47 on the Utes in January 2011 gave him an ovation as he left the court.
Jimmer describes his older brother TJ as his biggest fan and supporter. TJ, whose song "Amazing" was written for his brother, said, "I see him play, and it gives me chills sometimes when he hits some of those big shots and the crowd is going crazy."
In an article published in Sports Illustrated, Marcus Morris, a forward at KU, noted the work ethic and moral character Fredette exhibited while at USA Basketball camp. Said he, "He’s got heart. You can see he has a feel for the game, and he can SHOOT IT from anywhere. Even if you try to box-and-one the guy, he brings it up and just pulls up from the hashmark. That’s tough to guard."
An unusual set of Fredette fans reside in the Mount McGregor Correctional Facility, a medium security prison, where he and his older brother played games with the inmates. Fredette credits these experiences as helping with his focus in rough situations.
