Currently, there are only a few active players who won a Division I scoring title, including Stephen Curry (2008-09 at Davidson), Reggie Williams (2006-07, 2007-08 at VMI) and Kurt Thomas (1994-95 at TCU). Recent scoring leaders who were highly drafted but did not pan out include Adam Morrison (No. 3 in 2006) and Courtney Alexander (No. 13 in 2000).
When comparing Fredette to his peers of recent seasons, there are two main points to consider: (1) Fredette is a 22-year-old senior and, (2) he measured at 6-foot-2 ½, which makes him either an undersized shooting guard or an unproven point guard at the NBA level.
Scoring 18.7 points per game for his career does place him toward the top of point guards, but is he a point guard? If he is an off-guard, scoring 18.7 points per game is not as impressive.
Fredette’s deep shooting is a huge strength, and his 39.4 career 3-point percentage at BYU is good, regardless of whether he is classified as a point guard or shooting guard. It is the rest of his game that raises questions. He had a career pure point rating (PPR) of minus-0.2 -- hardly indicative of a point guard. His defensive and rebounding numbers were both quite poor. And taking more than 24 minutes to get a steal and more than 11 minutes to get a rebound aren't indicative of someone who can help if he's not making shots.
Fredette played 1,323 minutes in his senior season and took 765 field goal attempts. That’s a shot every 1.7 minutes! Fredette was a scorer in college, a great scorer, but his pure point rating is indicative of his desire to shoot before he passes. His rebounding numbers aren’t special and his defense is poor.
Superficially, Fredette’s scoring volume has inflated his value to the point where he may be a lottery pick. His ceiling is lower than others because of his age, and his ability to develop into a passer is in question. When evaluating the entire package, Fredette projects better to the NBA as a late first-round or early second-round pick, given his one specialty skill. That way, he can begin to carve out a career as a designated shooter, with a chance to improve his overall game.
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