Texas Basketball – Jonathan Holmes Leading by Example

It is safe to say that the Texas Longhorns have been one of college basketball’s biggest surprises. They have won some big games and have settled into the top 25, currently ranking 19.

Recently, Rick Barnes and Longhorn Basketball team gathered in the film room. These are the sessions where Coach Barnes will go over game tape, highlighting the things that the team is doing well and the things that they need to improve on.

There is one name has been showing up in these film sessions more and more, and for all the right reasons. That name is Jonathan Holmes.

Holmes is taking it all is stride. When Coach Barnes recently highlighted a play in which [s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level2)]Holmes hit a defender with a stutter-step and took the ball to he rack, he asked about Holmes’ his new found “fancy” footwork. Holmes replied with To be honest, “I just tripped.”

How could how not love this kid?

Holmes is a junior from San Antonio, Texas. These days, it is more common to see and outspoken, flashy athlete than one of Holmes’ nature. He reminds me of the college basketball version of Andre Johnson (from the Houston Texans). He is a quite leader, but a leader none the less.

His demeanor is rubbing off on a team many to be consider to be over achieving. They have pulled off some big upsets, like clobbering the Jayhawks 81-69, but refrain from over celebrating such things. Even after defeating four ranked opponents for the first time in school history, it was just business as usual.

Holmes is the leading scorer on a team well on its way to the NCAA tournament. Mike Finger from the San Antonio Express News asked Holmes if he thinks it’s fair to draw a little attention to himself.

Holmes shook his head.

“That’s not who I am,” Holmes said. “I never saw the point of some of that.”

We works hard and expects the same from his team. Still, he is not the type of player to vocalize his expectations (at least not loudly). This offseason, he just hit the gym and the team followed his s lead.

“It’s not just his age — it’s his work ethic,” sophomore center Prince Ibeh said. “We look to him to see what we should be doing and how we should be handling things.”

Holmes, who averages 13.1 points and 7.4 rebounds per game while shooting 51.2 percent from the field, downplays his own importance in shaping the team the Longhorns have become. He insists UT has adopted more of its personality from Barnes than from him and said he still struggles to speak up.

“Vocally, I’m not the best communicator on the team,” Holmes said. “But I feel like I can lead in other ways.”

So far, that has been enough. And somehow, the Longhorns have gotten along just fine without any players whipping up a vocal frenzy. In fact, another one of the team’s best leaders, sophomore guard Demarcus Holland, is almost as quiet as Holmes.

“They’re both very stoic,” Barnes said. “I wish they’d say more, but what they do say speaks volumes.”

And when their stumbles get mistaken for highlights?

Holmes said the next time, he might keep quiet about that, too.

(Source: Mike Finger – San Antonio Express News)

[/s2If]

[s2If !current_user_can(access_s2member_level2)]