In the fall of 2011, the BYU men's basketball team netted some impressive recruits. Of the seven recruits who committed to the Cougars that fall, five have ties to the program through relatives.
Incoming players T.J. Haws, Nick Emery, Braiden Shaw, Cooper Ainge and Jordan Chatman have all had members of their immediate family play for the Cougars' basketball program.
These incoming players and their family members couldn't be happier to keep BYU hoops in the family.
THE HAWS FAMILY
T.J. Haws is currently a sophomore playing at Lone Peak High School in Alpine. His father, Marty Haws, played for the Cougars from 1986-90, and ranks third all-time at BYU in career steals and fifth all-time in assists. His brother, Tyler Haws, played at BYU as a freshman in 2009-10, and will return from an LDS mission in the Philippines this spring and rejoin the team for the 2012-13 season.
Recruited by both BYU and Utah, T.J. Haws had little doubt where he would play collegiate basketball.
“I love the fast-paced game BYU plays,” Haws said. “I have played this way since second grade and I am not changing the way I play basketball.”
Haws will graduate from Lone Peak in 2014 and join the team for the 2014-15 season.
THE EMERY FAMILY
Nick Emery is a junior at Lone Peak High School in Alpine, and a teammate of T.J. Haws. His brother, Jackson Emery, played for BYU in 2005-06 and again after an LDS mission from 2008-11. Jackson Emery is the all-time steals leader at BYU and second in career games played. He was a major contributor in BYU's record breaking 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons.
Even while being recruited by national powerhouses Kansas, North Carolina and UCLA, Nick Emery knew early on he wanted to have a similiar experience to what his older brother had.
“It has been a dream of mine since I was a kid to play at BYU,” Emery said. “I love BYU and am so excited to play for them.”
Jackson Emery can't wait to see his little brother continue the family tradition.
'Nick was getting a lot of attention,' Jackson Emery said. 'It was funny because as a BYU guy, I was there when Oklahoma State offered him a scholarship and when the Kansas assistant coach came to visit. But I was excited when he picked BYU over all those other really good schools.'
Nick Emery will graduate from Lone Peak in 2013 and join the Cougars for the 2013-14 season.
THE SHAW FAMILY
Braiden Shaw is a junior at Eagle High School in Eagle, Idaho. Shaw's father, Kelly Shaw, played for BYU's junior varsity squad in the 1980s.
Braiden Shaw is looking forward to being a Cougar and the friendship he will have with his future teammates, just like his dad did.
'My dad played ball there and had a great experience and met some great people,' he said. 'I met some of the other commits, Nick Emery and T.J. Haws, and we'll get to play mostly the same years. They were cool guys. It was fun to get to know them and it'll be fun to play with them.'
Shaw will graduate from Eagle High School in 2013 and join the Cougars for the 2015-16 season after serving an LDS mission.
THE AINGE FAMILY
One of only two Cougars to ever be named national Player of the Year, Danny Ainge is a BYU basketball legend. His retired uniform hangs from the rafters of the Marriott Center for fans to see every home game. In the fall of 2012, fans will not only see a jersey with the last name of Ainge hanging from the rafters, but another on the court.
Cooper Ainge is a high school senior from Wellesley, Mass., and is the son of Danny Ainge. Cooper Ainge will join the Cougars for the 2012-13 season.
Cooper Ainge's coach, Michael Crotty Jr., sees BYU as a perfect fit for his athlete.
'Ever since I've known Cooper, this is where he's wanted to go,' Crotty said. 'I think it will be a great fit for Cooper and for BYU.'
Cooper Ainge is not the first child of Danny Ainge to play for BYU. Austin Ainge was a captain for the Cougars, continuing the legacy of BYU basketball for the Ainge family.
According to Crotty, Cooper Ainge will add to the legacy even further.
'BYU definitely got a good basketball player but they got an even better kid,' Crotty said. 'He's going to represent BYU on the court, in the classroom and beyond. It's all come together for him now. He gets to go to his dream school and have an opportunity to be on the team like his father and brother were.'
THE CHATMAN FAMILY
Jordan Chatman is a senior at Union High School in Vancouver, Wash. Chatman's father, Jeff Chatman, was an All-American and the seventh all-time leading scorer at BYU.
Jeff Chatman, still an avid Cougar supporter, knows the experience he had at BYU helped him and hopes the same for his son.
'I love BYU. I bleed blue and I know that I had a great experience there and I know I built some great relationships there,' he said. 'Every father wants their son to follow them and to be better than them so Jordan going to BYU is a great thing.'
Jordan Chatman will graduate in June 2012, and will join the team for the 2014-15 season after serving an LDS mission.
In nearly every family, certain similarities shine forward between family members. For the Haws, Emery, Shaw, Ainge and Chatman families, that similarity is a love for BYU basketball. With the success of the incoming players' predecessors, Cougar fans can hope there are more similarities to come.