This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
To no one's surprise, BYU guard Jimmer Fredette is a finalist for the 2011 Naismith Player of the Year Award, given out annually by the Atlanta Tipoff Club. Duke's Nolan Smith, UConn's Kemba Walker and Ohio State's Jared Sullinger are the other three finalists. Fredette has already been chosen player of the year by The Sporting News and Sports Illustrated. Fredette leads the nation in scoring at 28.8 points per game, and is also averaging 4.3 assists per game. He is averaging 33.0 points and 6.5 assists per game in the NCAA Tournament. Last week, BYU coach Dave Rose was named a finalist for the Naismith Coach of the Year award with SDSU's Steve Fisher, Notre Dame's Mike Brey and Ohio State's Thad Matta. ——————————- Sunday, the WNIT announced that BYU's women's basketball team will play USC on Wednesday at 7 p.m. The WNIT third-round game will be played at the Marriott Center in Provo. The Cougars (25-8) defeated Utah State 102-63 on Saturday to advance. USC defeated Nevada 78-59 on Sunday. It will be the eighth meeting between BYU and USC, with the Trojans holding a 4-3 series lead.