|
He went from being a high school star who could score at will to a sparingly used college player who found a niche on defense. Jackson Emery, now a BYU sophomore after returning from a two-year LDS mission, appears to be putting both parts of his past together.
"I've kind of figured out the system," said the former Lone Peak star heading into today's game at Weber State (7 p.m., KJZZ and BYU-TV).
Emery, starting as a 6-foot-3 shooting guard, is finally healthy after a bumpy summer following his return from Mexico.
His knees aren't bother him any longer, and neither are hamstrings. He's returning to the form shown at practice of his first season on campus, 2005-06, when he'd regularly win with great ease the foot races that often took place on the Marriott Center court.
Now he'll get to return to Ogden, where he last was a scoring phenomenon -- his senior year at Lone Peak, in which he led the Knights to a state championship on the Dee Events Center floor.
His two identities appeared to collide for good last Saturday at Idaho State, when he essentially had a pair of double-digit performances.
He held ISU's shifty leading scorer, Amorrow Morgan, to 15 points below his season average. Emery also put up a career-best 15 points.
Emery credits coaches for putting together a scouting report which he can follow, and Emery also notes that teammates also share trust and know how to help out when necessary. That's how teams get to be 6-0.
BYU head coach Dave Rose has an excellent luxury, however, if Emery can be productive nightly at both ends of the floor.
"I think Jackson is more aggressive, if that's possible," Rose said of Emery's defense compared to his freshman year. "But I think it's because he understands our system a lot more. I just love his ability to make plays on the ball defensively. He has great lateral quickness, too."
Emery's challenge against 2-3 Weber State could be an unusual one. The Wildcats' leading scorer is Kellen McCoy, a 5-6 senior averaging 13.6 points per game.
Well-balanced in scoring, WSU also has 6-4 junior Nick Hansen (10.4 ppg) third. He could be another potential Emery guard.
He's seen each of his statistics jump, of course, because his minutes have taken a big leap: From 10 a game in 2005-06 as a freshman to about 29 to start this year.
"I don't feel like a new guy, but I don't feel like a veteran, either," Emery said. "So I guess I'm in the middle, whatever you'd call it." | 
