One day, trainer Rob Ramos told Emery the problem wasn't knees but his hamstring muscles. They were simply knotting up on him.

"What we've done is just stretch those hamstring muscles," Emery said. "We do it all the time. I warm up before practices by stretching them. I try and stretch while waiting in line for a drill, or when the coach is talking. I'm always trying to keep them loose."

Before he left, Emery had an impressive vertical leap of between 38 to 39 inches. It was an explosive burst that enabled him to block shots underneath the basket or at the perimeter. He got rebounds, and his lateral quickness made him a coveted player at the next level by recruiters.

His shooting touch wasn't too shabby, either. The 4A Player of the Year in Utah out of Lone Peak, he was named Mr. Basketball by the Deseret News in 2005.

He's still got hops. He can tell when he goes up for rebounds or dunks the ball. But he also notices, since his mission, that he'll go to jump when he's tired and when he pulls the trigger, his legs do not give what he expects.

"Sometimes it's there," he said, but "sometimes, when I'm tired, it isn't."

Emery feels confident going up off both feet, but when he tries to go up off a run with one foot, it is "awkward" and he feels he doesn't have the right form.

A solid scorer at Lone Peak, Emery averaged just over 20 points a game for the 4A champion Knights. After signing with BYU, he played in 28 of 29 games with six starts as a freshman.

That first year out of high school, the Cougars had several scorers on their roster — guys like Trent Plaisted, Lee Cummard, Mountain West Conference MVP Keena Young and RaShaun Broadus.

When he got playing time, it wasn't to show off his shooting touch but to play defense.

In that regard, he was an excellent specialist. After all, he once had 11 steals in a high school game. He could also score 30 points.

"That first year, you have to understand, it was my job to come in and play defense," Emery said. "I wasn't looking for my shot. I've always been able to score, but that wasn't what was needed out of me."

Now, with Cummard and Jonathan Tavernari averaging 18 points a game and point guard Jimmer Fredette showing his prowess at penetrating and breaking down defenses with his shot or assists, Dave Rose still wants Emery to defend — but it's OK to shoot, too.

"We have the shooters," said Emery, "But if I make them respect my shot, they'll have to defend me and that helps everyone. I aggressively look for my shot, but I'm not all that aggressive because we have shooters."

So far, Emery's career is a blueprint for another Lone Peak star who grew up in northern Utah County — 2007 Mr. Basketball Tyler Haws.

As Haws finishes his senior year for the Knights, Emery has some advice for Haws as he prepares for his own basketball career at BYU.

"I'd tell him to play as hard as you can," Emery said. "You have to elevate your game. The big thing is you are a star in high school and Mr. Basketball, but in college everyone is Mr. Basketball, everyone is a star, everyone is bigger, stronger and athletic.

"You have to understand once you get out of high school you don't stop trying to enhance your game, you have to get better and play as hard as you can. You have to understand the role coach wants you to do. That's all you can do is the best you can do... and let everything just happen."

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E-mail: dharmon@desnews.com