Emory’s record-setting duo still has national goals to reach
Ben Pearce and Jair Knight, two of the most accomplished players in the history of the Emory basketball program, will make their final home regular season appearance Sunday.
The duo, the heart of the No. 1-ranked NCAA Division III program, will take part in Senior Day when the Eagles (21-3) play Rochester at 2 p.m. in the season finale. But both are quick to say they’re far from finished.
“I think it will be sentimental and we’ll probably reflect a lot more about it once the season is over and done,” Knight said. “But right now we’re still in goal mode. We’re still starving for the achievements and the goals that we set up to accomplish.”
Knight is referring to the chase for a national championship. Emory will learn Monday the opponent and destination for its first-round games. There is a chance the Eagles, who are one win away from tying the program record for most regular-season wins, could again host games in the early rounds.
Last year, Emory reached the national quarterfinals — the second time in program history — before losing in overtime to Wesleyan. This season the Eagles have been ranked among the top five all year, the biggest moment coming when they avenged an earlier loss to then-No. 1 Chicago. Knight scored 36 points and Pearce scored 24 that night.
“These guys and their classmates have really raised the bar for Emory basketball,” coach Jason Zimmerman said. “They have represented Emory University and Emory basketball in every way you want your guys to do.”
Pearce, a 6-1 senior from Tuckahoe, New York, will leave the program as the all-time scoring leader; he currently has 1,918 points. He is averaging 23.7 points (No. 13 in the nation), 7.0 assists (No. 2 in the nation). Knight, a 6-2 senior from Elyria, Ohio, ranks fourth all-time with 1,700 career points, is averaging 18.8 points and six rebounds.
Both players made the top 50 finalists for the Bevo Francis Award, given annually to the nation’s best non-Division I player. Both are among the 25 finalists for the Trevor Hudgins Award, given to the senior who has the best overall four-year career at the small college level.
“We knew when we got them that they were special,” said Zimmerman, who began recruiting both while they were in prep school. “And they’ve turned out to be even better than I could have imagined. It’s really special when can grow your team with each other. It becomes a really special relationship.”
The fact that the duo remained together for four seasons in rare in today’s college basketball landscape. But neither player chased a big NIL deal or looked for greener pastures — and both are happy about it.
“That was possible, but for me that was never really something that I opened myself up to, that I was even really curious about,” Knight said. “Some of the people in my life said, ‘You could probably go somewhere.’ But I knew where I was coming when I committed and I knew what I wanted to do in college.”
“The grass is really green here,” Pearce said. “I don’t know even at other levels if there’s a better opportunity for me, with the journey that I’m having. There was definitely no better choice than to stay.”
Both players are on schedule to graduate with their finance degrees. Both are honor students. Although each wants to try to play professional basketball — “While my legs are still young,” Peace explained — they plan to eventually go into business or maybe pursue a path to become a sports agent.
“Whatever they decide to do, they’re going to be successful,” Zimmerman said.
About the Author
Stan Awtrey has been covering sports for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution since 1977. He currently writes about high school sports, Georgia State University athletics and golf.
