Naperville Central guard Emerson Burke knew playing varsity basketball as a freshman would be a challenge.
Yet she couldn’t wait to get started. After watching her older sister, Ella, play for the Redhawks for three seasons, Emerson Burke was eager for her chance.
“I think she’s a really great role model for me,” Emerson Burke said. “I’ve been coming to these games for forever. So just seeing the game and now finally being able to play it, it’s a big adjustment, but I absolutely love it.”
That is made abundantly clear by the enthusiasm and vigor with which Emerson Burke plays. It is reminiscent of her sister, who graduated last year and is a freshman soccer player at Cincinnati. The Burkes are left-handed and have similar styles, according to Naperville Central sophomore guard Erin Hackett.
“She compares to Ella with the drive, definitely,” Hackett said. “Her layup is very similar, in my opinion. I’d say Emerson’s is a little better than Ella’s.”
Scuttlebutt before the season suggested Emerson Burke already is a better basketball player than her sister, who didn’t play on the varsity team until her sophomore year, and that assessment appears accurate. After a slow start, Emerson Burke has emerged as one of the Redhawks’ leading scorers, consistently reaching double figures.
The streak continued Thursday as she poured in a game-high 21 points to lead the visiting Redhawks to a 54-34 DuPage Valley Conference victory against Metea Valley in Aurora.
What’s behind the recent surge?
“She always had it in her, but when you’re a freshman playing varsity, that’s a big step up,” Naperville Central coach Andy Nussbaum said. “You’ve seen eighth grade games. It’s very different.
“And her No. 1 sport is soccer. Some freshmen play basketball year-round, and she doesn’t. So part of it is she just hadn’t played in a while and she hadn’t played varsity, and now I think she’s much more comfortable with it.”
It looked like that was the case Thursday. Emerson Burke made 9 of 18 shots, including 8 of 9 at one point, and added three rebounds and two steals.
“I love playing with the teammates I have,” she said. “It’s so much fun. Trusting your teammates is such a huge thing in varsity basketball. My teammates believing in me, obviously letting me be able to go out there and shoot those shots, makes me feel confident in myself.”
Emerson Burke isn’t afraid to try to take over a game. The Redhawks (9-13, 2-3) led 16-12 when she scored on a layup off a feed from Hackett, who followed with a basket of her own.
Versatile senior Lucy Burk, who paced Metea Valley (2-12, 0-5) with nine points, hit a 3-pointer to cut the lead to 20-15. But Emerson Burke took a pass from junior forward Tessa Williams and sank a turnaround jumper in the lane.
“She is already quick, but deceivingly quicker than people think,” Nussbaum said. “She’s not afraid to shoot the ball. She by far leads our team in free-throw attempts.”
Indeed, Emerson Burke made 11 free throws en route to a career-high 24 points during the Redhawks’ 70-62 win against Moline on Dec. 16.
She attempted just three free throws against the Mustangs but connected on plenty of field goals instead. That included four consecutive shots to begin the third quarter and a driving layup early in the fourth quarter to boost the Redhawks’ lead to 46-29.
Hackett, who added 11 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals, has been a mentor to Emerson Burke, just as Ella Burke was to her last season. Hackett was Ella Burke’s teammate in both basketball and soccer.
“Emerson has been adjusting great,” Hackett said. “I’ve been telling her to be more confident with her drives and maybe use her right hand sometimes just to switch it up, and focus on what’s happening and the IQ of the game because she’s so used to soccer.”
Emerson Burke, who intends to play soccer for the Redhawks, appreciates Hackett’s advice.
“Erin really helps me,” Emerson Burke said. “She believes in me, and it just makes me feel like I can shoot it when I want to. It keeps me on my toes, for sure.”
After a 2-8 start, the Redhawks seem to have found their footing and have won two straight.
“We feel like we can go out there and be ourselves,” Emerson Burke said. “Coach Nussbaum really gets us excited to play, and our energy level is super high.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.