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PROVO — Nick Emery’s time in BYU blue is over.
And so, too, is his time in basketball.
The embattled Cougar point guard announced Tuesday he is retiring from basketball, and that the 2018-19 season was his last.
Who wears the No. 4 BYU jersey in the future is anyone’s guess. But it won’t be Emery.
"Basketball has taught me more about life than I could have ever imagined," he wrote on Instagram. "Playing for a university like BYU and playing with some of the best guys has been an incredible blessing. My time here has been 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."
Emery’s career at BYU was shaky at times, upsetting for others, but not without its share of highlights. He finishes his time in a Cougar uniform with 1,173 career points, 268 rebounds, 214 assists and 132 steals.
But the senior-to-be came to BYU with a lofty expectations, for better or for worse.
Dubbed the "Lone Peak 3" and with dreams of leading BYU to NCAA Tournaments and Final Fours, Emery signed with the Cougars and Knights teammates Eric Mika and T.J. Haws.
But Mika left BYU after just one season in favor of a career in Europe, and Emery’s career fizzled for a variety of reasons. Haws will be a senior this fall and projects as the Cougars’ starting point guard in a backcourt that should also include former Davis High sharpshooter Jesse Wade, Idaho State Player of the Year Connor Harding and walk-on Blaze Nield, a junior college transfer who earned All-State honors at Lehi.
During his breakout freshman season in 2015-16 he averaged 16.3 points and 2.5 assists per game en route to 26 wins and a berth in the NIT semifinals. Emery never reached those same numbers in later years, and his shooting stats gradually decreased until he shot just 39% from the field in 2018-19 as a redshirt junior. That was a year after he took a sabbatical from BYU, an exit from the university that accompanied an NCAA investigation into improper benefits by the Alpine native.
Emery was discovered to have received cash, the use of a car, and several trips by numerous individuals deemed "boosters" by the NCAA, and the overarching organization based in Indianapolis hit the program with the biggest sanctions in program history.
Two years of vacated wins (47 of them, in all), a loss of a scholarship and probation were among the most significant sanctions, though BYU is still appealing the NCAA’s ruling.
At the same time, Emery's personal life was in shambles. He wrote frequently on his blog Emery Outlive about dark clouds and darker moments in his life, all while going through an ugly divorce with his ex-wife, Sara. His return to BYU was even questioned by many outsiders to the program.
But Emery returned, averaging 6.1 points and 1.8 assists in 21.1 minutes, mostly off the bench, this past year. He shared several intimate moments with BYU coach Dave Rose, addressed the media sparingly, and embraced his role in the locker room while only starting eight games.
It would prove to be the final year for Rose, too.
Off the court, Emery’s life also improved significantly. He recently remarried a widow named Jenna with a young son, and the two have shared intimate portraits of their relationship on Instagram and Jenna’s personal blog.
“I’m 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,” Emery said. “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.”
So with the coach that recruited him gone, the breakup of the Lone Peak 3 official (a fourth Lone Peak signee, Zach Frampton, also transferred to Dixie State), Emery chose to step away from the game.
But he won’t be forgotten by BYU faithful for quite some time. The younger brother of All-Mountain West guard Jackson Emery has made a name for himself — both good and bad — for his reputation as a fiery competitor, a pure shooter, and a series of off-the-court missteps that eventually brought him full circle back to Provo.
Whatever is next has yet to be revealed for Emery, but it won’t include basketball.
“We are excited for Nick as he begins this next stage of his life,” BYU coach Mark Pope said. “He has great things ahead.”
