While Jimmer Fredette didn’t have the greatest NBA career, his college career with the BYU Cougars from 2007-2011 was incredible. He was the leading scorer in all of Division I in his senior season, 2011, and was also selected as national player of the year that season by a wide range of selectors. So it’s certainly notable that someone has now tied one of his many records, and Liberty Flames’ senior guard Darius McGhee did just that Saturday against the Kennesaw State Owls. There, McGhee dropped 47 points in a 100-93 overtime win. That was the second-highest total of this season (behind McGhee’s own 48 points against the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles in January), as ESPN’s Kevin Connors noted:
The incredible Darius McGhee does it again!
The @LibertyMBB_ superstar goes for 47 pts (including 16 in OT!) in a win over Kennesaw State.
The 47 pts are the second most in a D-I game this season behind only the 48 pts McGhee scored earlier this season! @ASUN_MBB— Kevin Connors 💯 (@kevconnorsespn) February 26, 2022
Here’s one of McGhee’s highlights from that game, a contested shot in the lane:
Another ridiculous performance by Liberty guard Darius McGhee.
For the third time this season, McGhee has gone over the 40-point mark, scoring 47 in total and 16 in overtime against Kennesaw.pic.twitter.com/oVuRm6OQNv
— Heat Check CBB (@HeatCheckCBB) February 26, 2022
That point-scoring performance made McGhee the only player since Fredette in 2011 to post 47 or more points twice in a single college basketball season. So that’s certainly impressive. It’s not an incredible leap for McGhee, as he’s averaged 23.9 points per game this season (in 33.2 minutes per game), but it’s still remarkable to see him hit that level, and tie a record set by Fredette.
On the season, the Flames are now 21-10 overall, and 12-4 in Atlantic Sun play (second in that conference behind the Jackson State Gamecocks). They’re not guaranteed a NCAA tournament slot yet, but they certainly have a chance of getting one. And if they do get there, that may lead to some more remarkable performances from McGhee.
[ESPN]
