Player Profile: Emma Schmidt, Wheaton-Herman-Norcross-Dumont (2018)
Emma Schmidt is an athletic 5-foot-8 2018 point guard with a 54-3 record the past 2 years and state tournament experience in 2016 at Wheaton-Herman-Norcross. (Emma, however, does not live in Wheaton or Herman or Norcross, she lives in Dumont,…
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Continue ReadingEmma Schmidt is an athletic 5-foot-8 2018 point guard with a 54-3 record the past 2 years and state tournament experience in 2016 at Wheaton-Herman-Norcross. (Emma, however, does not live in Wheaton or Herman or Norcross, she lives in Dumont, and so we dub thee as the Wheaton-Herman-Norcross-Dumont Warriors.) But, anyway, Emma’s been tough to get a handle on. Part of it is that there’s another Emma Schmidt on the same summer team. And, her sister Izzy plays with her on her high school team, and there’s an Emma Schultz, who’s also a pretty good player, at Eden Valley-Watkins. OK, it’s 100 miles from Wheaton to Eden Valley but, hey, they’re both west of here (the metro).
So, anyway, I made a point of seeing Emma this past summer with the MN Comets. I mean, I saw her in that state tournament and I know she played well. Her Warriors surprised Cromwell 70-55 in the 1st round as Emma shot 5-of-11 for 13 points with 7 boards, 3 assists, 2 steals and a block. If you want to know what kind of athlete she is, she blocked a shot in each of 3 state tournament games (at 5-8) and totaled 19 rebounds, 8 assists and 8 steals.
I also knew that Wheaton has to compete with perennial power Ada-Borup in section 6A. Wheaton defeated the defending state champs 54-52 to get to state in 2016. Last year Ada won the section final 50-44. What really hurt Wheaton was that transfer Mariah McKeever (from Win-E-Mac to Ada) outscored Schmidt in that game 14-5. So maybe McKeever’s the big recruit from the area. (Overall, Emma scored 12 ppg as a sophomore and 14 ppg as a junior, and she scored 9 ppg in the state tournament.)
But, like I said, I made a point of seeing Emma this past summer with the MN Comets, and she was almost always the best player on her team and more often than not the best player on the floor. She handled the ball and ran the offense. She is strong, fast and quick, though maybe she seems faster and quicker than she is because her decision-making is so fast and quick. There’s no delay while she figures out what she wants to do. She just does it. She pushes the pace—so, there are some turnovers, but they are attacking turnovers, not the back-on-your-heels kind of turnovers.
In short, we were impressed by 5-8 2018 1-guard Emma Schmidt from Wheaton-Herman-Norcross (though actually her address is in Dumont), not to be confused with all those other Emma Schmidts out there. And, so, we moved her up in our latest player ranking update from #42 to #33, which makes her the #6 pure 1 and #12 in Minnesota among pure 1s plus combos. I can’t imagine she wouldn’t be successful at D3 and the right D2 opportunity would hardly be out of the question.
When did you start playing basketball?
I started playing basketball in early elementary school. My mom got me started. I remember going in to the gym with her and working on ball handling and shooting form and she was also my coach all through elementary school.
When did you realize that you might be pretty good at it?
This is a hard question to answer! I don't know if I remember thinking I'm good at it, but I've really loved playing the game for as long as I can remember. In elementary basketball games, we could only play half court defense and as soon as the other team crossed the half line I was usually able to steal it. However, I missed most of those lay-ups. (I've improved in that area.)
How do you describe your game? What do you do well?
I'd describe my game as intense. I'm very intense on both ends of the court. I try to be a positive, encouraging teammate and I'm always looking to get my teammates involved.
What are you working on doing better?
I'm working on developing a three point shot and also better decision making. I lift weights three times a week and I spend a lot of time shooting in the gym.
How would you compare summer ball with high school ball?
Summer ball is much more intense. I like high school basketball because of my teammates. I've been playing with the same girls since third grade and we work well together. I also like the community support during our high school season. We have great fans! I love the competitiveness in summer ball. I've gotten to play against some phenomenal teams and players. Summer ball has also been a great way for me to meet new friends and learn from different coaches.
Do you see yourself playing ball at the next level?
Yes, I'd like to play basketball in college. I've only visited one school and there are a lot more I'd like to visit.
What are your goals for this winter, both personally and for your team?
My personal goal is to play in the state championship and also become a better 3-point shooter. Our team goal is to place higher than we did at the state tournament in 2016 (4th).
What advice would you give younger girls who want to improve their games and maybe play at the next level?
I would advise younger girls to always work hard and be intense at every practice. You're never going to get any better if you don't push yourself in practice.