Nick Emery, Jake Toolson Offer Opinions On Recent BYU Transfers
Apr 18, 2022, 4:02 PM | Updated: 11:14 pm
(Tom Smart, Deseret News)
PROVO, Utah – Since his playing days concluded with BYU basketball, Nick Emery has given some strong critiques of his alma mater. Mainly BYU’s coaching staff led by head coach Mark Pope.
Months after announcing he was retired from basketball in 2019, Emery tweeted at a recruit BYU was pursuing in Michigan State’s Mady Sissoko. Emery wrote to Sissoko in a since-deleted tweet, “Honest tweet – you would be playing with some of the greatest dudes and have great teammates at BYU.. but playing for those coaches would be an absolute disaster. They are not what they portray and are super sketchy and dishonest! Good luck with the decision bro.”
Nick Emery reacts to Caleb Lohner entering the Transfer Portal
Fast forward to Monday, after news broke that BYU forwards Caleb Lohner and Gideon George were entering the NCAA’s Transfer Portal, Emery, who played three seasons at BYU, turned to Twitter again to take a shot at BYU’s current program.
“What have I been saying for the last 3 years?! And y’all think I’m crazy [emoji][emoji] Players and coaches wanting out .. I knew time would tell! @byubasketball needs to reconsider [emoji].”
What have I been saying for the last 3 years?! And y’all think I’m crazy 🤦🏼♂️😂 Players AND coaches wanting out .. I knew time would tell! @byubasketball needs to reconsider 🤷🏼♂️ https://t.co/PHOewgZZVq
— Nick Emery (@04NickEmery) April 18, 2022
Former BYU basketball guard and teammate of Emery’s for a season (2015-16), Jake Toolson, responded to Emery’s tweet with a take of his own.
“It’s obvious that all you have ever cared about is your poor me victim narrative,” wrote Toolson to Emery on Twitter. “If you can’t stand the heat then get out of the kitchen. Nobody’s got time for your boo hoo baby stories.”
It’s obvious that all you have ever cared about is your poor me victim narrative. If you can’t stand the heat then get out of the kitchen. Nobody’s got time for your boo hoo baby stories https://t.co/CZA7YWGufo
— Jake Toolson (@jtoolgoinham) April 18, 2022
During Toolson’s five years in college basketball, four of them were with Mark Pope. Pope worked with Toolson as an assistant at BYU in the 2014-15 season. Toolson then transferred to Utah Valley to play for Pope when he became a head coach at UVU. With the Wolverines, Toolson became a WAC Player of the Year in 2019.
Toolson played for Pope again in the coach’s first year leading the BYU program for his grad transfer season. Three months after Toolson’s commitment to play his final year at BYU, Emery, who was at the center of an NCAA investigation involving BYU hoops, retired from the game.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.