Contrary to popular opinion, BYU is not a one-man team.
Although Jimmer Fredette earns all the accolades and makes every headline, a strong supporting cast is what separates the Cougars from mediocrity.
When Florida faces BYU in the Sweet 16 on Thursday, the Gators will need to concentrate on not just the nation’s leading scorer, but also his teammates.
“Jimmer certainly gets a lot of publicity and a lot of exposure, but it’s really their whole team,” coach Billy Donovan said. “I don’t think you get to this point in time in the season, like they’ve gotten to, with it just being one guy.”
Fredette’s partner in the backcourt, senior Jackson Emery, has proven to be an effective threat from the outside, averaging 12.6 points per game on 35.9 percent three-point shooting.
Juniors Noah Hartsock and Charles Abouo combine for 15.9 points and 10.8 boards per game, providing a pair of scorers and rebounders on the interior.
Emery, Hartsock and Abouo all played significant minutes when Florida and BYU clashed in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last season, and all three have only improved since then.
“They’re all a year older, they’re a year better and they’re a year more experienced,” Donovan said. “They’re a better team today than they were a year ago when we saw them.”
In that meeting, Fredette stole the show with 37 points in a 99-92 double-overtime win.
But Donovan was equally impressed with the contributions of BYU’s other players, pointing out that Fredette scored only 27 points in the first 45 minutes.
“You look at the other guys and see that they contributed and did a heck of a nice job for their team,” Donovan said. “The guys playing alongside Fredette are really, really good players.”
Michael Loyd Jr. in particular stepped up for the Cougars last season, scoring 26 points despite averaging just 5.1 per game for the season.
Although Loyd is gone, BYU retains a number of other players who know their responsibilities and have compensated for the loss of Brandon Davies, the team’s leading rebounder, who was suspended for the year following a violation of the school’s honor code.
“Those other guys play to their role and understand their role and do it effectively,” Donovan said.
INJURY UPDATE: Sophomore guard Kenny Boynton was held out of practice Monday after spraining his left ankle Saturday against UCLA.
Donovan said Boynton dealt with major swelling in the immediate aftermath of the injury, but the next 24 hours went “very well” and the trainers have been able to minimize the discomfort to the point where Boynton can walk normally.
The sophomore said he hopes to return to the court today, and Donovan anticipates having him back by Thursday.
“We fully expect him to play,” Donovan said. “He definitely has some discomfort, but I don’t feel like his discomfort is enough to prevent him from playing.”
