Notre Dame commit Emma Risch set to leave a lasting legacy

On an evening in early October, Emma Risch texted twice to ask a writer if she could delay the start time of a scheduled interview. Her reason? She was playing in a high school golf match.

When the interview actually started, the logical first question was to ask Risch how good she is at golf.

"Oh, I'm not very good at all,'' said Risch, a senior at Palm Bay Magnet School in Melbourne (FL) who made a verbal commitment, as a junior, to play women's basketball at Notre Dame.

When told how much Risch was tearing down her golf game, her high school basketball coach laughed several times.

"She told you that?'' Sara Murano said, "Don't let her fool you. She actually is above average. She's a competitor and she's going to compete whether it's in golf or basketball. She's not going to go halfway on anything she does. She's not capable of it..''

But Risch, who ranked No. 15 by HoopseenW/All Star Girls Report will tell you there is no comparison in how she feels about each sport.

"Golf is just something I do for fun, almost like an outlet,'' said Risch, who already has scored more than 2,000 career points and won two state championships. "Basketball is totally different. Basketball is a full-time job.''

The last precious days of golf season won't be around much longer. Even though she already has committed to Notre Dame, Risch will face a senior season that may come with some stress. With last year's team, which lost in the state playoffs, returning intact, there will be pressure on Risch. After all, the 6-foot-2 shooting guard likely will be the center of attention during every game she plays. She also could be working to cement her place as, arguably, the best player ever from Florida's Space Coast.

The attention and pressure that comes with that won't be a totally foreign concept for Risch, who has started since she was a freshman. Last season, she averaged 20.5 points and 5.3 rebounds a game.

She also is considered one of the best 3-point shooters in the nation. She averaged 45 percent from that range last season.

"Emma can be a great three-point shooter at the next level" HoopseenW National Director of Scouting Nate Altenhofen said. "When you look at Notre Dame's roster, she could make huge contributions.''

Oh, and let's throw in another few numbers that had to be very appealing to Notre Dame. She has a 4.23 grade-point average and ranks sixth in a class of 345.

For a school that prides itself on academic excellence and prestigious sports programs (Notre Dame's women's basketball has won two national championships and has five runner-up finishes), Risch looks like a natural fit.

"That's how I felt about it, too, when I visited," Risch said. "I really liked the coaches and the other players. I kind of knew instantly that it was the perfect place for me."

Of course, there also is that beautiful campus in South Bend, Indiana, that sometimes can turn ugly in the winter months. So, how is a Florida girl going to handle that? Well, it should be a non-factor because Risch will be spending much of her winter time in the fabled Edmund P. Joyce Center.

So, where does that leave Risch's golf game? Well, time is almost up. Once she finishes her season of high school golf, Risch knows she might not be on the golf course until she retires because it is all basketball and all business from here on out.