With the exception of Duke Blue Devil Frank Jackson, every star player from the great Lone Peak High School basketball team seems to be committing to BYU. This will make better chemistry for Cougar fans than the dating apps on their smart phones will. TJ Haws, Nick Emery and Eric Mika are all playing together once again after all three have completed honorable full time LDS missions.
The last names of the new faces of Cougar basketball aren’t unfamiliar at all to Cougar fans. Older brothers Tyler Haws and Jackson Emery have maintained the standard of excellent hoops that legends like Danny Ainge and The Jimmer have set. The sky is the limit for these younger brothers as they were part of the only Utah high school basketball team in state history to win four straight titles.
It isn’t easy for highly touted Mormon athletes to make the decision between continuing their sporting endeavors or putting their dreams on hold for two years and serving a mission. This is why it was unlikely that three basketball stars from the same high school would all serve full time missions and return to play basketball for a school that is owned by the same church they served missions for.
Famous Brigham Young football quarterback and Super Bowl champion Steve Young and Naismith college basketball player of the year Jimmer Fredette decided for personal reasons that continuing with their sports was their mission. So what exactly is the mission of The BYU Big Three?
Multiple High School State Titles? Check. MaxPreps National Championship? Check. Honorable full time missions? Check. BYU basketball? This is yet to be determined as these three teammates are all preparing for a “Peak” performance when March Madness comes around.