It took Emily Engstler one minute to relegate herself on the bench. Against Maryland Eastern Shore on Dec. 5, the freshman jogged in-between possessions, therefore delaying Syracuse’s 2-3 zone. SU head coach Quentin Hillsman, known for unorthodox subbing methods, yanked his prized recruit off the court and made her watch the ensuing 96-51 blowout.

A week after the game, Hillsman said Engstler “definitely” didn’t do the “little things” that he expects from all of his players. While dazzling with highlight plays — like her two-handed swat against Niagara on Dec. 17 — Engstler has committed rookie mistakes for No. 12 Syracuse (14-2, 3-0 Atlantic Coast). After the benching, Engstler averaged 15-plus minutes throughout the next three games, a reminder of the trial-and-error required for a freshman despite Engstler’s top-prospect status.

This season, Englster’s rebounded efficiently and helped SU bridge its current eight-game winning streak into conference play. But her struggles still remained against Virginia Tech on Jan. 6, when a lack of hustle combined with nervousness cost Engstler playing time, totaling five minutes in an overtime win. Multiple coaches and players noted her raw ability. Through 16 games, however, it has come in spurts.

“I think I’m still on a roller coaster right now,” Engstler said. “Sometimes I’m consistent, sometimes I’m inconsistent. I’m really just trying to adjust.”

Earlier this season, before she registered a collegiate minute, Engstler was the No. 9 high school recruit in the country. Associate head coach Vonn Read lauded her dribble-drive technique. Hillsman tabbed Engstler as the next freshman to make an “immediate” impact. Star point guard Tiana Mangakahia joked with Engstler about topping Mangakahia’s assist record in a preseason exhibition.

But more than halfway through Syracuse’s campaign, the stats haven’t followed the hype. Engstler is averaging 5.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game in 15.6 minutes while shooting 42.7-percent from the field.

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“She came in with a pretty solid skillset around the board,” Hillsman said on Nov. 27. “We’re trying to get her to understand the speed of the game and at this level, some of the passes and decisions you make in high school might not work.”

Senior guard Gabrielle Cooper saw the dichotomies of Engstler’s game during the team’s early-season Cancun Challenge. In the three-game tournament, Cooper remembered Engstler executed acrobatic lay-ins, but also fired high-risk passes that resulted in turnovers.

Engstler committed one mistake trying to wedge a pass to forward Maeva Djaldi-Tabdi in the paint. Djaldi-Tabdi was in the process of backing down her defender, establishing space. Trying to wedge a pass, Engstler assumed that Djaldi-Tabdi would easily post her defender down low, Cooper remembered. Instead, Engstler flung a pass in Djaldi-Tabdi’s direction, and eventually, out of bounds. It was a play that only worked against lesser competition.

Engstler compared the “typical” adjustment period she’s experiencing to her freshman year at Christ The King (New York). She started on a team with five Division-I players and spent the most of her minutes rebounding and facilitating an offense without being its star.

At Syracuse, a knee injury to Kadiatou Sissoko thinned SU’s forward rotation, but Engstler has emphasized her own rebounding while taking the least amount of field goals (82) of any Orange player that averages at least 15 minutes per game.

“I think my role in the offense is just to create more offense,” Engstler said. “I think what I’m doing best is rebounding and getting other people open.”

While Engstler called herself “efficient” in her recent stretch — she tallied five points, five rebounds and four assists in SU’s most-recent win against North Carolina on Jan. 13 — the “little things” have held her back. Hillsman has reminded her during practice to call for the ball more and communicate better, something Engstler said she didn’t have to do much of in high school.

Mangakahia and other teammates have reminded Engstler of maintaining focus in games, like receiving a pass with extended arms or always boxing out for a rebound. To execute at the level she was expected to before the season, Engstler will have to cut out the mistakes that’s kept her off the court.

“I’m just hoping I can become more consistent and stable,” Engstler said. “Once I get that down, the rest of my freshman year will be great.”

Published on January 15, 2019 at 11:26 pm

Contact Nick: nialvare@syr.edu | @nick_a_alvarez