Archbishop Wood’s Emily Knouse finds ‘second home’ with commitment to St. Joe’s

Archbishop Wood’s Emily Knouse became quick-riser as a contributor for her team and a prospect at the next level. She had a number of scholarship offers to choose from but one program felt right.

The junior decided to make it official Saturday, announcing her commitment to St. Joseph’s, becoming the first member of the Hawks’ class of 2025.

“They’ve been recruiting me for over a year and whenever [assistant] Katie [Kuester] or [head coach] Cindy [Griffin] or anyone on the staff asked when I had time to chat, I was always looking forward to that call,” Knosue said. “I just knew that they were going to be my second home.”

Knouse’s commitment brings significant momentum on the recruiting trail for the Hawks, who brought in 2023 Catholic League MVP Gabby Casey this offseason.

St. Joe’s offered Knouse in September of 2022. At least a dozen schools offered her before playing a minute of her junior year. She narrowed her list down to a top four, which included Drexel, Monmouth, and Holy Cross.

“If you know, you know,” Knouse said. “It’s nobody else’s decision but yours. It was important for me to know I could make this decision rather early. I just knew I loved St. Joe’s and I wanted to go there.”

Knouse knew basketball was going to be a part of her life, given the family lineage. Her older brother Mike, now a sophomore at Lock Haven, was a valued contributor in his time at Wood.

Their parents, Mike and Rosemary, also shared the experience of playing at the college level.

The elder Mike played at York Catholic High School and Delaware Valley University. Rosemary played at Villanova from 1988-92, following a standout career as a post player at Bishop McDevitt, where she was teammates with a keen-eyed point guard Griffin.

“I always knew Cindy and her reputation, but when they started recruiting me while I was playing with the Comets [an AAU team], that’s when we really started talking,” Knouse said. “I went and watched them play and it became a better and better relationship over time.”

As a 6-foot guard/forward, Knouse’s most notable skill is her perimeter shooting. It’s what helped her get on the floor as a freshman at Wood.

She became a starter her sophomore year while improving her rebounding and facilitating skills.

» READ MORE: Archbishop Wood hopes to make history by securing its fourth straight girls’ basketball state title this season

“They told me they loved the way I looked for my teammates passing the ball, plus my shooting and making open shots,” Knouse said. “Any kid can work on ball-handling or moves, but they said I know how to play the game and they were impressed how I know how to facilitate and move the ball. It felt so reassuring.”

Knouse was named one of Wood’s four captains this upcoming season and aside from senior Ava Renninger, Knouse has the most returning experience on the team.

“I’m handling pressure a lot better,” Knouse said. “We’ve been in some serious games — PCL and state championship games — I think freshman me would have been curled up in a ball ready to throw up. Now, with how successful my Comets team and high school team have been, it’s really prepared me for those intense situations on a basketball court.”

The more interest she got and visits she went on, the more Knouse started to find what she was looking for. Knouse, who resides in Horsham, didn’t want to venture too far away. Location mattered.

When she did her overnight visit in October, Knouse stayed with Casey.

“I thought it was hilarious, Katie Kuester told me ‘We’re going to put you with another PCL girl,’ we all laughed about it,” Knouse said. “It was great, I related to Gabby and she really opened my eyes in the way of making that huge adjustment from high school to college and coming from around the same area.

“Personally, I could already see myself being there just from one night. The girls treat each other so well. Gabby told me she could go to any of the girls with anything and they’d drop everything to help her. That’s what your teammates are for and that just reassured me.”

» READ MORE: Cardinal O’Hara’s Molly Rullo commits to Drexel, following family’s legacy

Anytime the Hawks wanted to talk, it was a call Knouse wanted to take. Now, she can look forward to those calls, no longer focusing on what could be and instead what will be.

“I just absolutely loved St. Joe’s and there wasn’t anything else I was waiting for,” Knouse said. “I knew the connection there was so strong, I loved it there, and I realized of course I want to go there, so why wait?”

This story was produced as part of a partnership between The Inquirer and City of Basketball Love, a nonprofit news organization that covers high school and college basketball in the Philadelphia area while also helping mentor the next generation of sportswriters. This collaboration will help boost coverage of the city’s vibrant amateur basketball scene, from the high school ranks up through the Big 5 and beyond.