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NCAA: Is Jimmer Fredette’s BYU Legacy Out of Reach for Tyler Haws?

By DJoumbarey A. Moreau

Nov 24, 2014; Lahaina, Maui, HI, USA; Brigham Young Cougars guard Tyler Haws (3) drives to the basket against the San Diego State Aztecs during the 2014 EA Sports Maui Invitational at the Lahaina Civic Center. San Diego State defeats Brigham Young 92-87 in double overtime. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 24, 2014; Lahaina, Maui, HI, USA; Brigham Young Cougars guard Tyler Haws (3) drives to the basket against the San Diego State Aztecs during the 2014 EA Sports Maui Invitational at the Lahaina Civic Center. San Diego State defeats Brigham Young 92-87 in double overtime. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /
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BYU’s shooting guard Tyler Haws is one of the best scorers in the NCAA. Haws is a guard that scores points in bunches. Is Jimmer Fredette’s legacy too far for him to reach?

Less than three years ago a nation became enamored with the BYU Cougars. More so because of the electric shooting guard Jimmer Fredette that lit his opponents up, and scored against anyone who tried to stop him.

Even the NBA’s scoring champion Kevin Durant, at that time had to pay homage to what his eyes saw when he saw Fredette play.

Fredette stood at 6-foot-2, 195 pounds and in 2011 lead the NCAA in scoring. At one point Fredette even scored 52 points in a game, which still stands as a BYU record.

Nov 26, 2014; Lahaina, Maui, HI, USA; Brigham Young Cougars guard Tyler Haws (3) drives to the basket against Purdue Boilermakers guard Kendall Stephens (21) during the 2014 EA Sports Maui Invitational at the Lahaina Civic Center. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 26, 2014; Lahaina, Maui, HI, USA; Brigham Young Cougars guard Tyler Haws (3) drives to the basket against Purdue Boilermakers guard Kendall Stephens (21) during the 2014 EA Sports Maui Invitational at the Lahaina Civic Center. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /

Three years later, the nation is getting ready to watch one of the best scorers in the country lace up his sneakers, put on that crispy white BYU cougars jersey, and destroy his opponents. His name isn’t Jimmer Fredette either, it’s Tyler Haws.

“He is the most important driving force behind one of the nation’s most prolific offenses….Tyler Haws is one of the best basketball players BYU has ever seen. Full stop. No ifs, ands or buts about it.”

That 52 point record that Fredette had against New Mexico in 2011 senior year campaign, it almost got broken. As a junior, the shooting guard Haws was four points away from breaking Fredette’s 52 point record when he scored 48 points against Portland.

On the year Haws is averaging 22.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game, and this is a down year from his junior season when he averaged 23.2 points per game. Haws has looked sharp and picked up right where he left off last year when he got named to the All-American team as an honorable mention selection. Haws hasn’t had a game in single digits, and only has one game where he scored less than 19 points.

Nov 25, 2014; Lahaina, Maui, HI, USA; Brigham Young Cougars guard Tyler Haws (3) guards Chaminade Silverswords guard David Ware (11) during the 2014 EA Sports Maui Invitational at the Lahaina Civic Center. Brigham Young defeated Chaminade 121-85. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 25, 2014; Lahaina, Maui, HI, USA; Brigham Young Cougars guard Tyler Haws (3) guards Chaminade Silverswords guard David Ware (11) during the 2014 EA Sports Maui Invitational at the Lahaina Civic Center. Brigham Young defeated Chaminade 121-85. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /

People are going to instantly gravitate to the Fredette comparisons since their games are so similar. Make no mistake about it, even though Haws has a lot less attention his game is right there with Fredette’s. Not only is Haws bigger (6-foot-5, 195 pounds) than Fredette, he’s a more aggressive defender.

As for the similarities between Fredette and Haws, they both are excellent three-point shooters. On the year Haws is shooting 42 percent from the three-point line. Also like Fredette, he’s more than a catch and shoot player, he creates scoring opportunities off of the dribble. On the season Haws is averaging 6.4 free throw attempts a game.

When Haws played against Purdue he got to the free throw line a bunch of times, 14 exactly, and dismantled their team. Purdue became the Haws’ first victim of the season to one of his 30 point games. He also finished the game with 47 percent shooting, with five rebounds, two assists and three blocked shots.

His latest scoring effort came against Eastern Kentucky, and Haws left no stone unturned. He finished the game with 26 points, four rebounds, four assists, shot the basketball at 66 percent from the field and 50 percent from the three-point line.

Even with all of glorious numbers that Haws puts up nightly people still aren’t talking about Haws as one of the best players in the country and it’s baffling. Before the season even started,  Steve Pierce of SB Nation wrote an awesome breakdown of Haws game and even noticed the lack of attention that the shooting guard has received and said this:

"“No matter how many defenders are thrown at him or how much attention he draws, he still finds a way to put the ball in the bucket in bunches. He brings it every single night. He is the most important driving force behind one of the nation’s most prolific offenses….Tyler Haws is one of the best basketball players BYU has ever seen. Full stop. No ifs, ands or buts about it."

For all those who are thinking that Haws is only playing against lesser competition, just wait and watch him play the heavy competition later in the year. Haws is going to have to face Delon Wright from Utah, who many believe will be a 2015 NBA Draft pick, as well as No. 10 Gonzaga twice and Chasson Randle from Stanford. Something tells me, they all are going to get fried.

At the end of the day Haws is one of the best players in the country, an All American candidate, and will most likely win the WCC Player of the Year award again. If the rest of the country doesn’t know about him yet, then they soon will because a talent like his can’t get denied.

If Haws can catch Fredette’s legacy is a question to get answered at the end of the season. But the path he’s carved out for himself isn’t so bad either. 

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