After a 67-58 win for his Puerto Rican U18 team over the EBC high-school all-stars, coach Wichi Ruiz was excited. What impressed him the most second to the experience of playing in Nike’s World Basketball Festival at Rucker Park on Saturday?
The play of Rice rising senior Emmanuel Andujar.
“He always made the extra pass, controlled the tempo and was not afraid to go to the basket strong,” Ruiz gushed about the 6-foot-5 swingman, who scored 12 points in the victory.
The coach chose Andujar to his FIBA U18 World Championships team after tryouts all over Puerto Rico and one in New York City. The Bronx native got better as the tournament, held in June in San Antonio, Texas, went on. After scoring 10 points and grabbing eight rebounds in a loss to Uruguay, Andujar started in Puerto Rico’s final game and responded with seven points and five assists.
“It was good to represent my country,” he said.
It’s the kind of versatility he displayed on the international level that has new Rice coach Dwayne Mitchell excited about Andujar’s contributions this coming season. He is only a year removed from a growth spurt that turned him from a guard into a multi-faceted forward. Andujar has the handle and passing ability of a much smaller man.
“He’s an all-around player,” Mitchell said. “He rebounds. His shot is developing. He can handle the ball. He’s a good teammate. He’s a big guard.”
After leaving San Antonio, Andujar went on the road with New Heights for the month of July. There, he picked up interest from Hofstra, Fordham, Drexel, Siena and Norfolk State.
“He’s a good kid who wants to get better,” Mitchell said. “He understands what it takes to try to get to the level that he’s trying to get to.”
Andujar was told about the Puerto Rico tryouts by former Rice coach Maurice Hicks, who left in the spring to take a job as director of basketball operations at St. John’s. He says he isn’t worried about the change. Mitchell was Hicks’ longtime assistant and New Heights athletic director Kimani Young, whom Andujar is obviously very familiar with, is going to be a part of the coaching staff.
“[Hicks] just told us to keep our heads up, always work hard, make sure we get to a good college, get a good education,” Andujar said. “Don’t let nothing get in our way. … He kind of already left his legacy at Rice.”
What kind of legacy will Andujar leave? That fully depends on his senior season. The Raiders will be his and Jermaine Sanders’ team when winter arrives.
“We’re gonna need their senior leadership to lead the way,” Mitchell said. “They’re gonna be the two main guys.”