Gimme Jimmer

Jimmer mania is sweeping the college basketball nation. Daily Onions has only seen his highlights on Sportscenter, so we were pumped to watch the #9 BYU Jimmers host still unbeaten #4 San Diego State. In honor of the joyous occasion, which was being shown on CBS College Sports Network, I decided to keep a running diary of all the action - to help those of you that don't get CBSCSN, or those of you that fall asleep before 10 pm EST/9 pm CST (usually me). This post is inspired by the numerous running diaries by the Sports Guy, Bill Simmons that we've all enjoyed reading over the years. Here it goes (time listed is the time left in the half/game):

I am Jimmer, see me score.

Ted Robinson and Steve Lappas on the call tonight for CBSCSN. Lappas doesn’t know he has a microphone and is yelling uncontrollably. 

18:50 Jimmer misses his first shot, a runner in the lane.

18:37 SDSU's D.J Gay fouled on a 3 pointer. Lappas discusses why you need to get out on shooters – “When a guys is on that kind of fire….you need to close out on him" Never knew there was more than one kind of fire.

18:20 2 on 1 break for BYU – Jimmer keeps it ans is on the board with a layup….

17:55  Jimmer drives to the lane, gets blocked. SDSU didn't get memo that you are NOT allowed to block Jimmer like that…

Nothing important happens in the game, so I realize that Lappas's Bronx accent is out of control. He sounds like he is announcing a boxing match and yelling everytime Robinson stops talking. No way he lasts the entire game at this pace.

14:08 Our first TV timeout, SDSU up 8-6. During the break, I Google Lappas 30 tweets pop up asking why Lappas is yelling so much.

12:15 Jimmer hits his first three pointer. 12-11 SDSU leads.

11:25 Brandon Davies scores again for BYU. Has 8 of their 13. Thinks the 24 NBA Scouts in attendance are there for him. 

10:14 SDSU calls timeout with the score tied at 15. Very quick pace thus far. Jimmer has 5 points.

9:50 Jimmer threads the needle on a ¾ court pass…teammate blows the layup. Jimmer decides he won't pass the ball again.

8:58 Jimmer drives, takes on contact from big man and gets the layup. Has 7 of BYU's 17 points. That drive reminded me of seeing Jameer Nelson(St. Joseph's) at MSG against Gonzaga back in 2003 (the same night my roommate fell in love with Alabama's Chuck Davis). Jimmer says he compares himself to Deron Williams (strength) and Mark Price (shooter/PG)

8:08 Shotclock down to 8, Jimmer hits a 17 ft pull up jumper on the baseline. Has 9 of BYU's 19 points

7:21 Official timeout. Actually the under 12, score tied at 19. Out of the timeout, Jimmer not on the floor, 70 percent of audience changes channel.

6:44 Under 8 timeout. I’m going to be pissed if Jimmer is on the court when the game returns

6:43 Jimmer returns. Then proceeds to jump in the air with nowhere to go and turns it over. Bad Jimmer.

5:14 ANOTHER Foul called. That's 2 fouls in the last 2 minutes. There were 2 fouls in the first 13 minutes. Clean it up guys, you are cutting into Jimmer time.

5:10 Steve Lappas makes a "chopped liver" reference. 

4:41 Jimmer pumps, takes a dribble and nails a 3…has 12 of 22….on the way back down court tells Lappas to stop talking

3:34 Someone just fouled Jimmer, which takes us to under 4 timeout. SDSU leads 24-22 SDSU.

3:12 My first holy sh*t, Jimmer is the man moment. Nasty crossover and drains the three. Has 15 of 25 BYU points.

2:35 Jimmer drives, pulls up..cash 17 points.

1:50 Jimmer drives, draws foul. Makes 1 of 2, BYU is up 28-26. Jimmer has 18.

1:25 Jimmer with the blow by and the layup. 30-26 BYU. Jimmer with 20 points.

:05 SDSU's Kawhi Leonard, who has the flu, drains a three to put SDSU up 31-30 at the half. Jimmer scored the final 15 for BYU, has 20 of team's 30 points.

Start of Second Half

 

19:50 Jimmer off back screen, gets easy layup. Has 22 of 32 BYU points.

18:40 Brandon Davies scores for the first time since early in first half…BYU still down 36 -34

17:23 Jimmer drives and gets fouled. Looks like that’s the only way to at least slow him down. Hits both, has 24 points.

16:50 Jimmer drains a three falling away with hand in his face with a little kick of the leg as he shot it. He’s got 27. BYU up 40-38. Lappas talking about entering the “Danger Zone”, calls Ted Robinson "Goose".

15:56 Off of a loose ball scramble, Jimmer gets it in the lane and hits the pull-up jumper. BYU up 42-38, Jimmer has 29. SDSU calls timeout.

14:48 Davies with an easy dunk. 44-42 The BYU Jimmer Davies lead by 2.

13:52 Davies fouled on a 15 foot jumper. The third time SDSU has fouled a BYU jump shooter. Not quite what you call "smart" basketball.

13:34 Jimmer pull up jumper, good. 31 points for Jimmer. 47-45, BYU.

12:31 Shotclock down to 5, Jimmer pulls up from 3 feet behind the three-point line and NAILS it. 34 points for Jimmer. 50-46, BYU.

11:22 Jimmer tries to draw contact on a three, airball. Dead ball. BYU leads 50 -46 at the under 12 media timeout.

8:51 Jimmer has cooled off. Misses a long 3 pointer. SDSU player that was guarding Jimmer needs to come out of the game because he is tired.

7:58 Media timeout. BYU leads 56-49. Jimmer hasn’t scored in four and a half minutes. Good chance that four and a half minute stretch is erased from the log books.

7:00 BYU big men miss 4 layup/putbacks in a row. Give Jimmer the ball please!

6:10 Jimmer misses a 3 from five feet behind the line.

5:51 Refs blow an obvious goal-tend call on one of Jimmer’s layups on fast break. Refs prove to be the only one on the court that can stop Jimmer.

5:35 SDSU burns two timeouts in 5 seconds because of good defense by BYU. Aztecs with 1 timeout left. They trail 56-52.

4:35 SDSU draws another foul. Have gone 8 and a half minutes with no FGs. Miss both FTs. Down 58-52.

4:20 Gretzky assist for Jimmer. BYU goes up 60-52.

3:54 Foul stops play and we go to a timeout. BYU has one of the two remaining unbeaten teams on the ropes, up by 8.

3:30 Jimmer fouled on a drive. Goes to a line for a 1 and 1. Makes both, he’s got 36. BYU leads 62-54.

2:55 Jimmer drives. Fouled again. Makes them both (yawn). 64-54. Jimmer with 38.

1:55 Jimmer fouled on a 3-pointer. Another jump shooter fouled by SDSU. Jimmer makes all 3 and has 41 points. BYU up by 13.

1:16 Lappas tells us all the ways that Jimmer can bounce a ball. "He can bounce it high, he can bounce it low, he can just bounce it." Thanks, Steve. Wonder how many NBA scouts wrote that down tonight, too.

1:10 Crowd chanting "You got Jimmered"

:38 Jimmer with the runner in the laaaaaane. Nothing but net. 43 points.

:21 Jimmer is taken out of the game to a standing O.

0:00 BYU hands SDSU their first loss of the season, 71-58. Jimmer with 43 points.

Overall, Jimmer is amazing. Had to see it to understand all the hype, but he lived up to all the expectations. People are comparing BYU and Jimmer to Davidson and Stephen Curry from a few years. Similar yes, but I think Jimmer is a little stronger than Curry and can probably get to the rim a little better because of that strength. Regardless, Jimmer is for real. Looking forward to enjoying him for the next two months of the season, and hopefully a Cinderella run in the tournament.