Hi-Line Athlete Profile: Emree Stuart, Skylights basketball camp

On Monday, the Montana State University-Northern women's team got its youth basketball camp started at Armory Gymnasium. The camp went from 9 a.m to 9 p.m., so the young girls basketball players needed to be committed to the long hours. One of those players was 14-year-old Emree Stuart from Malta, who went to the camp to improve her game.

"(This camp) works you really hard," Stuart said. "It gets you better and it's really fun."

Like many basketball players, Stuart grew up in a basketball family. Both of her parents played at Rocky Mountain College so she first got into the sport when she was about five years old. She and her brother then began playing basketball with each other and she has loved the game ever since.

"I love everything about it," Stuart said. "It's just fun and challenging and makes you work and get better in shape for everything you do."

On her first day of camp, Stuart was hard at work. She has learned to work on important skills such as boxing out for rebounds and communicating on defense. She has also enjoyed getting to stay in the dorms with other young basketball players and getting to play five on fives, four on fours and three on threes with them.

While she is a young player, Stuart already knows her strengths and weaknesses as a player. She believes her biggest strength is her defensive intensity. She also believes she is a reliable scorer. But she knows she still has work to do as she still wants to become a better shooter.

Stuart is a year-round athlete as she also competes in volleyball and track and field. In her free time, she spends her time on the basketball court practicing. If she is not on the court, she likes to spend her time with friends at the lake.

Stuart will work on her game throughout the week at the Skylights basketball camp. While she is hard at work, the Havre Daily News got the chance to ask her five questions.

HDN: What is the hardest part about basketball?

Stuart: "Probably getting a good shot. Working on your form takes a while to learn and learning to actually make the shots fall."

HDN: Is basketball your favorite sport to play?

Stuart: "Yes, it's more aggressive and more fun. There's a lot more challenging stuff than track and volleyball."

HDN: As you begin high school later this fall, what do you look forward to about playing at the next level?

Stuart: "Getting to play with new teams and getting to experience what it's like to play with older kids."

HDN: What do you hope to accomplish in high school basketball?

Stuart: "To make it to varsity and be able to score and be a good asset for our team."

HDN: Who is your favorite basketball player?

Stuart: "Steph Curry because he's really good and he's a good person to look up to. He makes me want to get better and makes me want to become a better shooter."