Nick Emery Announces Retirement From BYU Basketball
Jul 23, 2019, 11:05 AM | Updated: 12:09 pm
Brigham Young Cougars guard Nick Emery (4) high-fives fans after the USU game in Provo on Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2018. BYU won 95-80. (Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News)
(Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News)
PROVO, Utah – Nick Emery announced on Tuesday that he is retiring from the game of basketball.
Emery made the official announcement on his Twitter and Instagram accounts. The former Cougar guard had this to say on his social accounts.
“The day has come that I hang up the #4 Emery jersey. Basketball has taught me more about life than I could have ever imagined. Playing for a university like BYU and playing with some of the best guys has been an incredible blessing. My time here has been a rocky at times, but the good times definitely outweighed the bad. I’ve learned so many life lessons and this journey has been so rewarding.
I am at a point in life where I am happy with what I’ve accomplished with basketball and I’m ready to start the next chapter of my life with my wife and son.
So I want to say thank you to my coaches, teammates and administration for all the memories and love. And a huge thank you to all of the fans who stuck with me through the good times and the bad times and cheered me on even in my darkest hours. I am a changed man from your unwavering support and love and I am forever grateful. Because of you guys, I was able to accomplish dreams I never thought would happen.
Thank you BYU for the amazing opportunity to represent your schoool. I have been forever blessed! (emoji)”
Emery was a four-star recruit out of Lone Peak High School in the class of 2013. He helped lead Lone Peak to a National Championship his senior year. In three seasons, Emery averaged 12.6 points per game and 2.3 assists and 2.9 rebounds per game.
Back in 2017, Emery withdrew from BYU due to personal reasons and acknowledged publicly that he was going through a difficult divorce. Emery’s exit from BYU in 2017 also took place amid an NCAA investigation into proper benefits surrounding the former sharp-shooting guard.
The NCAA ended up placing BYU on probation for two seasons and took away a scholarship last season from the Cougars.
Emery was expected to be on scholarship this season heading into his final year with the Cougar basketball program. That scholarship is now available for head coach Mark Pope to give to another player.
“We are excited for Nick as he begins this next stage of his life,” BYU head coach Mark Pope said. “He has great things ahead.”
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12-3 pm) on KSL Newsradio. Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.
