Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Hof finding stride as ’Canes make push toward March
CORAL GABLES — A year ago, Emese Hof quietly played through pain.
With teammates Laura Cornelius and Khaila Prather sidelined by seasonending injuries, Hof understood the Hurricanes needed her, even if she wasn’t at her best.
And so, the forward powered through, playing in 29 of Miami’s 32 games, even as she battled a nagging ankle issue. She started 25 games, scored in double digits 11 times and was effective, leading the Hurricanes in blocks and ranking second in rebounding and field-goal percentage.
Things are so much better now.
These days, Hof is feeling healthier than she has in a long time. She has embraced her ability to score rather than primarily pass the ball. And she’s been a force as the 15th-ranked Hurricanes have put together a memorable regular season that has included a pair of historymaking wins.
When Miami stunned defending national champion Notre Dame earlier this month, Hof had 21 points and 13 rebounds. Ten days later when the Hurricanes upset then second-ranked Louisville on the Cardinals’ home floor, Hof finished with 25 points and seven rebounds.
She earned ACC Player of the Week honors for the first time in her career. ESPNW named her its National Player of the Week and suddenly, the player who had long been appreciated by teammates and coaches in Coral Gables had earned a place in the national spotlight.
“My definition of faith is confidence with some patience so when you’re going through a stretch and things aren’t working out, faith needs to remain there and it has with her,” Hurricanes coach Katie Meier said of Hof. “She’s always believed. She hasn’t panicked. But her confidence is pretty skyhigh right now.”
Added Cornelius, who played with Hof on the Dutch National Team before both came to Miami in 2015, “She’s playing out of her mind and it’s really fun to see. I guess it’s almost surprising to the rest of the country … but people within our program know how important she is to us and for her to finally show out against those great teams on national television and to get some recognition, it’s good for her.”
But Hof — who is as known for her bubbly personality and ever-present smile as much as her ability — acknowledges finding her game and finding that confidence was challenging.
It wasn’t merely about the discomfort she felt physically. She had to adapt to the more physical, aggressive style of play in the United States. She had to learn to somewhat silence her inner critic and not be so hard on herself when she made mistakes. And eventually, she recognized that she was just as talented as the players around her in the ultra-competitive Atlantic Coast Conference.
“I think my game has grown a lot,” said Hof, who along with Prather will be honored as one of Miami’s two seniors ahead of the Hurricanes’ regular-season home finale on Thursday against Georgia Tech. “It’s weird, I think it changed, too. Because of the ankle injuries and stuff, I kind of had to find different ways to play and I think in the end, now, I can just add everything from that to my arsenal and that’s making it work right now.”
For Hof, the goal now is to finish her time at Miami on a positive note.
“I believe that there’s another level we can play,” she said. “I think you have to have something left for March, but right now, the biggest thing is to finish out this season on this high and [not] go back, keep giving the same intensity. We’ve got a tough grind to finish the season, but I think we have something left and I think it’ll come out in March.”