Adam Emmenecker

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Adam Emmenecker
CollegeDrake
ConferenceMVC
SportBasketball
PositionPoint guard
Jersey #15
ClassSenior
Career2004–present
Height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight189 lb (86 kg)
NationalityUnited States
Born (1985-12-03) December 3, 1985 (age 38)
Saginaw, Michigan
High schoolArthur Hill High School, Saginaw, Michigan
Career highlights
Awards
HE HAS NONE BECAUSE HE SUCKS!!!

Adam Cannata Emmenecker (born December 3 1985 in Saginaw, Michigan[1]) is an American basketball player, currently a senior point guard at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. During the 2007-08 basketball season, Emmenecker, who had been a walk-on (non-scholarship player) for his first three years at Drake,[2] emerged from obscurity to lead the Bulldogs to a sweep of the regular-season and tournament titles in the Missouri Valley Conference, and received numerous honors for his performance as both a player and a student.

High school

While at Arthur Hill High School in Saginaw, Emmenecker was a two-sport star, starting for and captaining the basketball team for three years and earning all-league honors twice in baseball. His high school basketball statistics were those of a pass-first point guard—8.4 assists per game as opposed to only 4.7 points per game. He also averaged 5.9 rebounds and 3.2 steals per game. In his senior season of 2003-04, he led his team to a 22-2 record and a ranking of #25 in that year's final USA Today national high school basketball poll. Emmenecker was an honorable mention all-state player in Michigan's Class A, and was also named Hill High's outstanding graduate of 2004.[1]

Drake

Walk-on obscurity

Emmenecker received no Division I scholarship offers in basketball, and nearly decided to play baseball at Boston College before opting to attend Drake.[3] He received a Presidential Scholarship,[1] a partial tuition scholarship "for academic achievement,"[4] and also walked on to the basketball team.[2] In his first season (2004-05), he played in 12 games, with his most extensive game action being six minutes against Western Illinois. As a sophomore in 2005-06, he played in 29 games, starting two, and averaged seven minutes. The following year, he became the Bulldogs' top reserve guard, averaging 11 minutes per game in 23 games before his season ended with a shoulder injury against Missouri State.[1]

2007-08: The Cinderella season

Main article: 2007-08 Drake Bulldogs men's basketball team

Going into the 2007-08 season, to say that Drake was lightly regarded would be a gross understatement. The Bulldogs returned only one starter, shooting guard Josh Young, from a 2006-07 team that had won 17 games. In the MVC's preseason poll of media members, league coaches, and league sports information directors, the Bulldogs were picked to finish ninth out of 10 teams, and no Drake player was selected even as an honorable mention on the league's preseason all-conference team.[5] Emmenecker did achieve a personal milestone two days before the Bulldogs started their season. After three years as a walk-on, he was given a full athletic scholarship for his final season.[2]

After splitting two games in California to open the season, Drake emerged as one of the surprises of the 2007-08 basketball season, embarking on a winning streak that would reach 21 games before ending on February 13 2008 against Southern Illinois. The Bulldogs went on to finish 15-3 in conference play, winning their first MVC regular-season title since 1971 by two games.[6] They added the MVC Tournament to their regular-season crown, securing their first NCAA Tournament bid since 1971 and their first postseason berth of any kind since the 1986 NIT.[7]

The former walk-on emerged as a major star in Drake's Cinderella season. Although he averaged only 8.5 points per game for the season, his average in MVC regular-season play was 10.3.[8] Emmenecker's contributions in other facets of the game proved much more important than his scoring. His 6.2 assists per game led the MVC by more than one assist per game,[9] and he set a single-season school record for assists.[10] He was also among the league's top five in steals and assist-to-turnover ratio, and in the league's top 10 in minutes played, free throw percentage, and—somewhat surprisingly for a 6'1" (1.85 m) point guard—offensive rebounds.[9]

Emmenecker became the MVC's most-decorated player of the 2007-08 season:

  • He was named as the captain of the MVC's All-Improved Team, joining Drake teammates Jonathan Cox and Leonard Houston on that team.[2]
  • He also made the All-MVC first team alongside Josh Young.[11]
  • In addition, he was named the Larry Bird MVC Player of the Year.[11]
  • Finally, he was named MVP of the 2008 MVC Tournament.[7]

When the MVC announced him as season MVP, it called him "perhaps the most improbable MVC Player of the Year (based on pre-season expectations) in league history." Entering the 2007-08 season, he had played 58 games in three seasons, but had only started two, and had career totals of 57 points and 64 assists. His 2007-08 season totals in points, assists, and rebounds all were at least double his previous career statistics in each category.[11]

Emmenecker's 2007-08 season, and indeed his Drake career, may best be summed up by Keno Davis, who was a Drake assistant under his father, Dr. Tom Davis, when Emmenecker arrived as a walk-on, succeeded his father as head coach for the 2007-08 season, and was named 2008 MVC Coach of the Year:[12]

We thought that maybe by his senior year he could start for us. But I never had any idea he could do this. He's exceeded all of our expectations, kind of like our team has.[7]

Academic accolades

Emmenecker's accomplishments on the court in 2007-08 were arguably eclipsed by his academic record. As of February 2008, he carried a 3.97 grade point average in four majors—management, business, finance, and entrepreneurial management. He was chosen as the 2008 Academic All-American of the Year in men's Division I basketball by the College Sports Information Directors of America,[13] and was also named the MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Year in men's basketball.[14]

After basketball

After graduation, Emmenecker will join the Principal Financial Group, a major financial services corporation headquartered in Des Moines, in its management training program.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "2007-08 Men's Basketball Roster: #15 Adam Emmenecker". Drake University Athletics Department. Retrieved 2008-03-09.
  2. ^ a b c d "Juniors Highlight League's Specialty Award Units" (Press release). Missouri Valley Conference. 2008-03-05. Retrieved 2008-03-09. {{cite press release}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ^ Rittenberg, Adam (2008-03-16). "Drake's season a remarkable success story". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2008-03-17. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  4. ^ "Financial Aid: Merit Aid". Drake University. Retrieved 2008-03-09.
  5. ^ "Southern Illinois Picked to Win MVC Men's Basketball Title" (Press release). Missouri Valley Conference. 2007-10-30. Retrieved 2008-03-09. {{cite press release}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ^ "Men's Basketball Notebook —Tournament Preview" (Press release). Missouri Valley Conference. 2008-03-03. Retrieved 2008-03-09. {{cite press release}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. ^ a b c Associated Press (2008-03-09). "Drake pummels Illinois State, sweeps MVC titles". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2008-03-09. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  8. ^ "Drake Season Statistics: Season Box Score". Drake University Athletics Department. 2008-03-09. Retrieved 2008-03-09. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  9. ^ a b "Missouri Valley Conference Leaders: Individual Basketball Statistics". Missouri Valley Conference. 2008-03-09. Retrieved 2008-03-09. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  10. ^ "Seniors Close Out Home Careers In Style With 73-63 Victory Past Wichita State" (Press release). Drake University Athletics Department. 2008-02-29. Retrieved 2008-03-09. {{cite press release}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  11. ^ a b c "Emmenecker Is Larry Bird MVC Player of the Year" (Press release). Missouri Valley Conference. 2008-03-04. Retrieved 2008-03-09. {{cite press release}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  12. ^ "Drake's Keno Davis Named Valley's Top Men's Basketball Coach" (Press release). Missouri Valley Conference. 2008-03-06. Retrieved 2008-03-09. {{cite press release}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  13. ^ "Drake's Emmenecker and Washington's (Mo.) Ruths Head 2008 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® Men's Basketball Team" (PDF) (Press release). College Sports Information Directors of America. 2008-02-26. Retrieved 2008-03-09. {{cite press release}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  14. ^ "Emmenecker Named Prairie-Farms Scholar-Athlete of the Year" (Press release). Missouri Valley Conference. 2008-03-06. Retrieved 2008-03-09. {{cite press release}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

External links

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