Photo by: John Quackenbos
The Toughest Guy in the Room
December 13, 2018 | Women's Basketball, #ForBoston Files
BC's junior center is flourishing into a battle-tested force this season.
It doesn't take long to understand why Emma Guy is a coach's dream come true. Her personality lights up a conversation almost immediately, and her attitude reflects an unmatched love for basketball. It is evident in her enthusiasm, which is unbridled in the way she talks about her Boston College teammates and their 8-2 start to the 2018-19 season.
Guy's more than just a personality, though, and she possesses a transformative switch to her game. Her laugh and smile cast a light in the locker room, but her six-foot-three frame casts an imposing and dominant shadow over opposing front courts. She might love and enjoy every minute on the court, but her ferociousness as a player has made her one of the centerpieces in the team's transformation.
"Personally, (this start) means a lot to me," she said. "The way we've come out strong shows the potential of this program. It's especially (true) because it shows it as we're getting ready for ACC conference play."
Guy is one of three "elder stateswomen" of Boston College basketball. She is one of three juniors on a team with no seniors and seven freshmen but remains one of the most battle-tested on the court. As a freshman, she made an immediate impact by playing 30 games, working her way into 13 starting lineup appearances. She became a central focus point for an inside-out style, dishing out 24 assists while averaging just under six points per game. On defense, she recorded 17 steals and 16 blocks while developing further fundamentals on the offensive end.
It set a bar for what she hoped would be a breakout sophomore campaign, but last year became a disappointment. She was a force in the lineup, nearly doubling both her point and rebound totals. Guy became more of a consistent post presence and maintained her ability to shoot free throws, but it was only a flashing dominance. Sickness and injury conspired to limit her appearances on the court, and she finished the year appearing in only 16 games.
Those experiences are a big part of why Guy appreciates her time on-court this season. She has started in all of BC's first 10 games and provided breakout performances right from the start. In the opener against Rhode Island, she dominated the glass with 10 rebounds, then poured in 11-of-13 shots for 22 points against Saint Peter's as BC opened 2-0.
It began a stretch of basketball where Guy scored in double figures in five out of six games, including a string of four straight. She missed only two shots against Holy Cross, sank eight against Houston and was perfect against Loyola Maryland. Her first double-double came with 16 points and 14 boards against Providence, a game in which she recorded 31 minutes on the floor. Following the Minnesota loss, she is averaging 12.4 points and 7.2 rebounds per game to rank second and first on the Eagles, respectively.
"The coaching staff always gets on me about rebounding," Guy said. "They want me to be a rebounding machine and really get after it (on the glass). Knowing that I have that support behind me, it's really set me up for success.
"I've always been more of a back-to-the-basket post (player)," she continued. "But the coaches have really worked with me to develop my game. They've helped me become a more face-up player and a slash-to-the-basket type of player. They want me to become more versatile with a shot or a drive. But any success there also comes from my teammates because they set me up for those shots."
It's an evolution within head coach Joanna Bernabei-McNamee's offense blending standard post moves into a combination of speed and finesse. Guy's down-low moves are changing to offer more options, especially when the team is running the floor. She has always been at her best when running the floor, so running that kind of energetic, full-court, pressure offense is allowing her to blossom into a centerpiece for the Eagles' floor plan.
"I'm very comfortable in this offense," she said. "I know the ball is going inside and back out. I know I'm going to get my hands on the ball, and I have confidence from my coaches and teammates to make a move. I know I'll either get the shot in the basket or someone will be there for a rebound to get the second chance back up."
It's allowed the Eagles to begin developing their identity for their run into ACC play. They know the challenges that come with every game, especially given the off-the-chart talent levels lurking around every corner. But it's something the Penfield, New York native willingly accepted when she made the decision to come to Chestnut Hill.
"I always wanted to challenge myself athletically and academically," Guy said. "Coming to BC was a no-brainer. The ACC is one of the most competitive conferences in women's basketball. So, coming here was a win-win. I get to give my all on the court, and I'm getting a great education. It's everything I could have asked for."
Boston College will play its sixth consecutive home game as part of a nine-game homestand on Sunday when it hosts the Green Line Rivalry against Boston University. Tip off is at 4 p.m. as part of a doubleheader with men's basketball's game against Fairfield. The women's game can be seen on the ACC Network Extra via ESPN Online.
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Guy's more than just a personality, though, and she possesses a transformative switch to her game. Her laugh and smile cast a light in the locker room, but her six-foot-three frame casts an imposing and dominant shadow over opposing front courts. She might love and enjoy every minute on the court, but her ferociousness as a player has made her one of the centerpieces in the team's transformation.
"Personally, (this start) means a lot to me," she said. "The way we've come out strong shows the potential of this program. It's especially (true) because it shows it as we're getting ready for ACC conference play."
Guy is one of three "elder stateswomen" of Boston College basketball. She is one of three juniors on a team with no seniors and seven freshmen but remains one of the most battle-tested on the court. As a freshman, she made an immediate impact by playing 30 games, working her way into 13 starting lineup appearances. She became a central focus point for an inside-out style, dishing out 24 assists while averaging just under six points per game. On defense, she recorded 17 steals and 16 blocks while developing further fundamentals on the offensive end.
It set a bar for what she hoped would be a breakout sophomore campaign, but last year became a disappointment. She was a force in the lineup, nearly doubling both her point and rebound totals. Guy became more of a consistent post presence and maintained her ability to shoot free throws, but it was only a flashing dominance. Sickness and injury conspired to limit her appearances on the court, and she finished the year appearing in only 16 games.
Those experiences are a big part of why Guy appreciates her time on-court this season. She has started in all of BC's first 10 games and provided breakout performances right from the start. In the opener against Rhode Island, she dominated the glass with 10 rebounds, then poured in 11-of-13 shots for 22 points against Saint Peter's as BC opened 2-0.
It began a stretch of basketball where Guy scored in double figures in five out of six games, including a string of four straight. She missed only two shots against Holy Cross, sank eight against Houston and was perfect against Loyola Maryland. Her first double-double came with 16 points and 14 boards against Providence, a game in which she recorded 31 minutes on the floor. Following the Minnesota loss, she is averaging 12.4 points and 7.2 rebounds per game to rank second and first on the Eagles, respectively.
"The coaching staff always gets on me about rebounding," Guy said. "They want me to be a rebounding machine and really get after it (on the glass). Knowing that I have that support behind me, it's really set me up for success.
"I've always been more of a back-to-the-basket post (player)," she continued. "But the coaches have really worked with me to develop my game. They've helped me become a more face-up player and a slash-to-the-basket type of player. They want me to become more versatile with a shot or a drive. But any success there also comes from my teammates because they set me up for those shots."
It's an evolution within head coach Joanna Bernabei-McNamee's offense blending standard post moves into a combination of speed and finesse. Guy's down-low moves are changing to offer more options, especially when the team is running the floor. She has always been at her best when running the floor, so running that kind of energetic, full-court, pressure offense is allowing her to blossom into a centerpiece for the Eagles' floor plan.
"I'm very comfortable in this offense," she said. "I know the ball is going inside and back out. I know I'm going to get my hands on the ball, and I have confidence from my coaches and teammates to make a move. I know I'll either get the shot in the basket or someone will be there for a rebound to get the second chance back up."
It's allowed the Eagles to begin developing their identity for their run into ACC play. They know the challenges that come with every game, especially given the off-the-chart talent levels lurking around every corner. But it's something the Penfield, New York native willingly accepted when she made the decision to come to Chestnut Hill.
"I always wanted to challenge myself athletically and academically," Guy said. "Coming to BC was a no-brainer. The ACC is one of the most competitive conferences in women's basketball. So, coming here was a win-win. I get to give my all on the court, and I'm getting a great education. It's everything I could have asked for."
Boston College will play its sixth consecutive home game as part of a nine-game homestand on Sunday when it hosts the Green Line Rivalry against Boston University. Tip off is at 4 p.m. as part of a doubleheader with men's basketball's game against Fairfield. The women's game can be seen on the ACC Network Extra via ESPN Online.
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