PROVO, Utah — From the straight-to-YouTube 3-pointers to an endless reel of highlight shows to knockoff T-shirts, Jimmer Mania has spread across the country. But it is hard to pinpoint the moment when Brigham Young’s Jimmer Fredette transformed from basketball star to national sensation, from fan favorite to cult hero, from boy next door to phenomenon.

For those who knew Jimmer before he became the Jimmer, the moment that best crystallized his sun-kissed senior season came when Fredette effortlessly swished a shot from one step inside halfcourt in a game against Utah.

“That’s the shot that tells you who he is because he doesn’t even react,” said Jim Hart, who coached Fredette in summer basketball with the Albany City Rocks. “He doesn’t smile or pump a fist. He’s more likely to pump his fist when someone else hits a shot; he knows that he’s going to do it.”

The 6-foot-2 Fredette, who leads the nation in scoring (27.4 points a game) and out-of-Provo-ZIP-code 3-pointers, finally gets his shot on national television Saturday when No. 7 B.Y.U. travels to No. 6 San Diego State. That CBS is televising the game instead of a cable network is perhaps the ultimate testament to Jimmer Mania.