Houston’s Emanuel Sharp gives Canadian connection to NCAA final
Emanuel Sharp – son of University of Toronto Varsity Blues hall of famer Justine Ellison Sharp – is etching his own name into the basketball history books.
Emanuel Sharp – son of University of Toronto Varsity Blues hall of famer Justine Ellison Sharp – is etching his own name into the basketball history books.
On Saturday, Sharp was one of the key players in the Houston Cougars’ Final Four comeback over the dominant Duke Blue Devils.
The third-year guard scored nine points in the final two minutes – including a pivotal three-pointer to bring the Cougars within one possession – as Houston went on a 16-3 run to secure its first berth in the national final since 1983-84.
“I think the one thing we did that helped, as a coach you’re always looking for something. We put the ball in Emanuel’s hands because he had the matchup we wanted in the pick and roll,” said Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson to media after the game. “Their best defenders were on L.J. and Milos. We thought Emanuel had the best chance to get the ball in the paint.”
They also got revenge on Duke, who eliminated Houston in the Sweet 16 during last season’s tournament.
Rife with top-end prospects, Duke has three players projected to be selected in the top 10 of the upcoming NBA Draft – Kon Knueppel, Khaman Maluach and projected No. 1 overall selection Cooper Flagg.
Saturday’s semifinal wasn’t the first time that Sharp has risen to the occasion this tournament. He also led Houston to a 100-95 win over Texas A&M in the second round with a career-high 30 points.
After averaging 12.7 points during the regular season, Sharp is scoring 13.8 points per game during the post-season tournament, good for second on the team.
The 21-year-old has been on Canada Basketball’s list of Canadians in NCAA tournaments due to his eligibility to play for the country in international play.
Sharp’s Canadian ties are almost through his mother, a Hamilton native, who went on to continue her career professional in Israel.
She met her future husband and Emanuel’s dad, Derrick Sharp, while playing there. He was, coincidentally, part of the 2005 Maccabi Tel Aviv team that upset the Toronto Raptors in an NBA pre-season game.
Emanuel Sharp played his high-school ball in Florida.
