Although he's undersized, even for a guard, the 6-foot-1 Emery is trying to become the Cougars' defensive stopper, a role filled by his brother, Jackson Emery, and guys such as Charles Abouo and Jordan Chatman in past years.
"Everyone has been talking about how our defense needs to improve, and I have really taken that personally," Nick Emery said Thursday. "We need to get better, and we are getting better. I think it helps having big guys down the middle, so if they do get past me Eric [Mika] and Yoeli [Childs] are coming over and getting that block.