BYU basketball supporting junior guard during NCAA, school investigation


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PROVO — BYU basketball guard Nick Emery was discovered to be under investigation by the NCAA nearly a week ago for possible misconduct penalties, stemming from allegations that he received free trips and concert tickets from a BYU booster.

And for the first time since the news hit the internet, head coach Dave Rose addressed the allegations Tuesday after practice in the Marriott Center.

“The process of what Nick has been through in the spring and the summer and now the fall has been pretty tough to watch, from a coach’s point of view,” Rose told select media before Wednesday night’s home exhibition opener against Division II Westminster. “I think that in the conversation and the time we’ve spent together, that I am really proud of our team and how they supported Nick through a pretty difficult time.

“Hopefully we can get some closure.”

Emery is the focus of an NCAA investigation into potential improper benefits, the school confirmed via a statement to multiple media outlets last Friday, leaving his status for the 2017-18 season in question.

“BYU is in the process of working with the NCAA regarding issues related to Nick Emery,” the university confirmed.

The allegations, according to a report from the Salt Lake Tribune, include the improper use of a car, travel and entertainment by Brandon Tyndall, a member of BYU’s Cougar Club and an executive with Draper-based Fun For Less Tours.

Tyndall told the Tribune that Emery paid for the trips for himself, but he and the Emery family have been silent in the public arena over the accusations. The allegations could violate NCAA bylaws prohibiting student-athletes from receiving benefits outside of a scholarship, books and a basic stipend during their collegiate careers.

Emery’s teammates voiced solidarity with the junior guard through social media and other means, though. A photo circulating around social media posted by several players shows Emery in the Marriott Center, wearing a royal blue BYU jersey while his teammates surround him wearing gray practice jerseys.

The photo is captioned “All for one, one for all,” with the hashtag #brotherhood, and has been shared or reshared by fellow Lone Peak alum TJ Haws, Payton Dastrup and Luke Worthington, among others.

The investigation into Emery is the first known NCAA inquiry into the BYU men’s basketball program since Rose was named head coach in 2005. But the coach who helped turn the Cougars around from a program-low point in the late 1990s has been impressed by his team in the situation.

“The guys have their arm around him, and they are helping him through each day,” Rose said. “Some days are tougher than others.

“As a coach, I’ve been doing this for a long time, and I’ve seen these guys really embrace this kid. Hopefully, we get him back to where he will be able to help his team.”

Penalties for such an offense would likely include a suspension during the upcoming season, monetary fines and/or repayments, and the possibility of vacating wins if the student-athlete would have been declared ineligible during games he played.

Emery may practice and participate with the team in exhibition games during the investigation, but he will likely be ruled ineligible once the regular season begins Nov. 11 against Mississippi Valley State.

Emery played in the Cougars’ 79-73 win at New Mexico in a charity exhibition last Friday, and Rose said he plans to play Wednesday against Westminster and next Wednesday, Nov. 8, in an exhibition against Colorado College.

After that, the team will wait for a ruling from the NCAA, or it may self-impose a penalty as part of the investigation with hopes of limiting the outside-source penalty.

“That’s the process, and then we’ll see what happens.”

Hardnett first impression

Emery didn’t impress much (two points on 1-of-4 shooting) in the Cougars’ trip to Albuquerque, but another BYU guard did.

Jahshire Hardnett, a junior college transfer who began his college career at Fordham, came off the bench for nine points, three assists and no turnovers in the Cougars’ win in The Pit. Yoeli Childs led all BYU scorers with 17 points and 19 rebounds, and Haws added 14 points, seven rebounds and six assists.

“It was a good experience,” Hardnett said. “The fan base was really nice but crazy. It will definitely get us ready for here.”

The 6-foot, 185-pound sophomore played one season at Florida’s Chipola College after redshirting his true freshman season at Fordham in New York City. Hardnett averaged 13.0 points and 3.9 assists per game during his lone season of JUCO hoops, earning Panhandle Conference freshman of the year honors while leading the Indians to a 22-8 record.

“It feels good to find a home now,” Hardnett said. “At Fordham, I knew I was going to transfer, and right now I feel like I am at home and that I will be here for the next three years. That’s a good thing.”

Griffin-coming

The Cougars tip against Westminster at 7 p.m. MDT Wednesday in a game that will be broadcast on BYUtv and KSL Newsradio. The Griffins were 16-8 overall last season for a fourth-place finish in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play, and are led by Dayon Goodman and former Brighton standout Travis Devashrayee.

If that name sounds familiar (currently), it’s because Devashrayee is married to current BYU women’s star Cassie Broadhead Devashrayee. But don’t expect the New York native to give her newlywed husband any scouting tips — they hardly see each other now that the school year has started.

“We spent a lot of time together in the summer when we weren’t traveling. We got to work out, shoot together, and it was a huge blessing,” Broadhead Devashrayee said. “But now that the season is starting, we don’t see each other as often. He has practice and school, and so do I, so we know we probably won’t see each other as much.”

Wednesday night is the first-ever meeting between the two schools, which was originally scheduled for 2017 before BYU-Hawaii came to Provo in its final season of NCAA competition.

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