The Gators have faced dynamic scorers throughout the season, but none of them compare to what they will see tonight.
Vanderbilt’s John Jenkins, Xavier’s Tu Holloway and Ole Miss’ Chris Warren were all difficult to contain, but none can hold a candle to BYU’s Jimmer Fredette.
Fredette, who leads the nation in scoring with 28.8 points per game, will be a stiff test for the No. 2-seed Gators (28-7) when they face off with the third-seeded Cougars (32-4) tonight at 7:27 in New Orleans with a spot in the Elite Eight on the line.
“He’s one of the most skilled players of the last decade,” ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla said.
The Gators know this better than most.
In the 2010 NCAA Tournament, Fredette lit up Florida with 37 points in a 99-92 double-overtime win, ensuring UF’s first-round exit.
And he’s only gotten better.
“He’s really taken his game and his team to a different level than they were a year ago,” UF coach Billy Donovan said.
Fredette’s most noteworthy skill is his ability to create his own shot, hitting 40.6 percent of his threes from seemingly any distance.
No matter what scheme opponents use or how tightly they guard him, Fredette has been able to generate his own look and release with lightning quickness and a sniper’s precision.
“He’s going to get his. He’s going to score points,” UF senior forward Chandler Parsons said. “He’s going to hit some ridiculous shots, and we just have to smack him on the butt and go down to the other end.”
When he isn’t raining threes, Fredette will be driving the lane, sinking layups or earning trips to the line.
Fredette leads the nation with 245 made free throws, knocking down 89.1 percent of his 275 attempts.
“You watch so much film on him and you just wonder how he does it,” Parsons said. “He’s an unbelievable player.”
The two have known each other since Parsons was 15 years old, when they battled it out on the AAU circuit.
After further clashes at the 2010 LeBron James Skills Academy and in last year’s NCAA Tournament, Parsons and the Gators know what to expect.
“Sometimes, until a player sees it and feels it, they don’t actually believe it,” ESPN analyst Jay Bilas said. “But they’ve seen it, they’ve felt it and they believe it.”
Donovan doesn’t think that will make guarding Fredette any easier.
He said the Gators will throw numerous schemes and matchups at BYU’s point guard in an attempt to keep defenders fresh.
Bilas suggested forcing Fredette to drive by guarding the 6-foot-2, 195-pound senior with a taller player who can contest Fredette’s long-range jump shots.
But Fredette has seen matchups like these before, and the senior has torched them just as efficiently as he has every other scheme.
“Everybody has tried everything on him, and it hasn’t worked,” Fraschilla said.
INJURY UPDATE: Florida sophomore guard Kenny Boynton returned to full practice Wednesday after spraining his ankle Saturday against UCLA.
Boynton participated only in the team’s non-contact drills Tuesday, a move Donovan said was “precautionary.”
But Boynton was back to full strength Wednesday, and he expects to be good to go against the Cougars.
“It felt great. It felt like I didn’t even injure it,” Boynton said. “I’m going to be good for (today).”
