Former Knight star Jackson Emery's competitive spirit and vocal leadership were praised as alumni and fans of the boys basketball program gathered Friday night to honor members of the 2005 state championship team and to participate in ceremonies retiring Emery's No. 22 Lone Peak jersey.

"The things most of you remember about Jackson are the steals, the dunks and the emotion that made him such a great player," said Lone Peak coach Quincy Lewis during the halftime presentation.

"To me, though, the No. 1 thing was his tremendous drive. He absolutely hated to lose and would do whatever it took to finish a game," the coach said.

"The No. 2 thing is that he was most interested in the team. I can best illustrate that by telling you how things went when BYU started calling halfway through his senior year.

"We sat down and talked about it, and he basically said, 'I want the focus to stay on our team. BYU can wait.' And they did."

Emery is the starting two-guard for the Cougars now and is their second-leading scorer. Most of the squad and some of the coaches made the trip up the Valley to be present as he was being honored.

The 2005 team was introduced first, followed by members of Emery's family. Announcer Jim Starr, founding principal of the school, then enumerated some of Emery's accomplishments.

The player had his chance to address the crowd after Lewis spoke. He mentioned that being in the gym brought back a lot of great memories for him, but the most important were his championship ring and the team shield on the wall.

"It's an honor to be here," Emery said. "I remember all the sweat, tears and blood that went into what we accomplished, and I think it's a good thing they're retiring this jersey. I think I beat it up pretty good."

He went on to mention the contributions of his family, coaches and teammates in his success, and how their belief in him helped give him the confidence to reach towards his goals. He was then presented with his framed jersey.

He left the court to chants of "Golden Child," the nickname he was given by his high school peers that rang in his ears every game during his senior year.

Interviewed separately, Lewis praised the accomplishments of the entire group.

"When I first got the job here, the basketball program was coming off a difficult year," the coach explained. "My first and second groups really put the building blocks in place to establish something special.

"One of the most significant things that Jackson did at Lone Peak was to help lead our team through that transition," he went on. "He bought into what the coaching staff was trying to do and encouraged his teammates to do the same.

"In part because of that, in the short time of two years we were able to win it all. Jackson was a big part of that, and the teams he played with laid the foundation for all the success we've had since then."

The Knights reached the 4A quarterfinals in 2004 and won 5A titles in 2007 and 2008, then finished second in 2009. In the first six years under Lewis, the varsity team won 83 percent of its games.

In the five tournament seasons during that stretch, the winning ratio jumps to 90 percent (111-12).

Lone Peak has seen a lot of outstanding players during that time, but as the coach explained it, to get a number retired requires a little bit more.

"Obviously, the first of the criteria is that the player has to be exceptional basketball-wise while in our program, generally for two years or more," Lewis said. "Jackson was first-team All-State both his junior and senior years and was Mr. Basketball in 2005.

"His team went 42-6 in those two years, and got the 4A title the second one," the coach continued. "Academically, Jackson had a 3.94 cumulative GPA and was heavily involved with Operation Smile.

"We do look at what kind of student the player is, and what kind of person," Lewis said. "Obviously, Jackson was a great choice in all those ways."

The coach emphasized that the honor is not based on anything that happens in the sport after graduation.

"The possibility of number retirement is announced at the banquet their senior year," Lewis said. "Once we've done that, we don't look at what happens athletic-wise. So, whether Jackson had played one minute or done what he's done at BYU wasn't a factor.

"We do keep track of what happens socially, however," he added. "We wait four years after the banquet to see what kind of person the young man becomes, and then retire the number formally in the fifth year.

"We just want to make sure that they're suitable role models for our players," Lewis said.

"From a program standpoint, these ceremonies help build tradition and bring the community together to celebrate one of their own," the coach added. "We enjoy the opportunity to honor outstanding accomplishments.

"All the kids around here know that Jackson Emery is a Lone Peak guy. They see the success he's had at BYU and how he's conducted himself there. He's worked and spoken at our team camps.

"Jackson is a great example of a kid who, No. 1, was loyal to his school, and second, who just kept working to get better even though as a sophomore, he didn't play one minute of varsity basketball," Lewis said.

"If I had to choose two things that stand out about him, they're his competitiveness and what a great vocal leader he was," the coach concluded. "Both of those qualities have transferred to BYU very well."

"This is quite an honor, to get this type of recognition at your high school," said Cougar coach Dave Rose. "Obviously it has to do with his talent at basketball, but a lot of it is about who Jackson is as a person and his ability to lead.

"He's a great representative of high school and college athletics," Rose went on. "He's as dedicated to his team as he is to self-improvement. I had a chance to watch Jackson in high school and what he did for Lone Peak then, he's doing for BYU now.

"He's a great example, a hard worker, a terrific competitor and a real winner. He's 100-percent accountable in the classroom too. He's motivated by a desire to learn and he brings that same attention to detail and commitment to prepare to practice every day."

Rose added that Jackson's dedication to improvement has made him the team's best perimeter defender and one of the best perimeter shooters in the league.

"He just works so hard that he helps everyone else do the same," the coach said. "His leadership skills are just unmatched. It's easy to talk about what he brings to our team. He's a terrific example for our guys, which is why he's a captain as a junior."

Emery is the second player to have his jersey formally retired by the basketball program. The first was Sam Burgess, leader of the 2001 4A state championship team, Lone Peak's first in this sport, who also went on to a solid career at BYU.

Bracken Funk's No. 45 (2008) and Tyler Haws' No. 23 (2009) jerseys have also been announced as candidates for retirement.

 MARK JOHNSTON/Daily Herald

BYU's Jackson Emery, joined by members of his family along with teammates of his 2005 state championship team, lifts his Lone Peak jersey during a half-time ceremony retiring number 22 in his honor Friday, Jan. 29, 2010 at Lone Peak High School.