Most Division I basketball players never get a chance to play in the NCAA Tournament. It’s what most players dream of when they choose a school at this level. Among those who don’t make it are some of the best players in the country; three of the nation’s top five scorers this season won’t be playing in it, and only one of the top five rebounders will be in it.
John Holland is one player who will be in the NCAA Tournament that college basketball fans can be happy about getting the experience.
To say Holland keyed Boston University’s drive to the America East championship would be a great understatement. Already the conference Player of the Year and a 2,000-point scorer, Holland carried the Terriers back from a 15-point deficit in the second half starting with a personal 14-point run on Saturday. His head coach, who has seen a few great performances, said, “I don’t think I’ve seen anything like that. It was pretty amazing.”
It’s a performance that will certainly be remembered for a long time, and not just by Boston University fans. It’s one more thing for the history books that will have Holland’s name all over it. Yet if Holland had his way, you get the feeling he’d gladly remove his name from the headlines about it.
Holland might be described as a reluctant star. He’s not a guy who talks about the team instead of himself in the usual way. Certainly, he cares about the team, and no one will doubt that. His teammates and coaches all rave about him on and off the court. Even former coach Dennis Wolff, with whom Holland seemed to have a rocky relationship at times, once described him as an “unbelievable kid” when not prompted.
But there’s more to Holland than that. He’s really a simple young man, one who doesn’t care for the trappings of being a star player. He would just as soon blend in with his team and be just another player, which is one reason they didn’t make him a captain this season. They know he doesn’t care about things like that. Just as he doesn’t care about awards or other recognition, a title like that doesn’t matter to him, either. While they needed him to be a leader this year as the only senior on the team, he did it without the title and without being conspicuous with it.
“He does it in little ways that you don’t know,” said head coach Pat Chambers. “In huddles, he’ll say more than he said in the past.”
This is a young man who wasn’t big on the Senior Night ceremonies a month earlier. It was a time with all the attention on him, and that doesn’t fit him. Not surprisingly, when fans on that night were trying to get his attention after the game as if they wanted him to jump into the crowd while they saluted him, he wanted no part of it and just flashed the same shy smile he’s shown many times over the years. His parents, both of whom are educators, got to experience it with him, and that’s who came to mind for him on that occasion.
“I really don’t like moments like that,” Holland said. “I guess it was nice for them. It was a good thing that they got to experience it. They’ve supported me my whole life, both of them and my aunt. That must have been really special for them. It was really special to be with them and allow them to have that moment.”
If you’re looking for memorable quotes or great insights, Holland isn’t your guy. He’s very soft-spoken and has often seemed at a loss for words in press conferences, which is no sin. It fits with his personality of not wanting the attention on him, and he mixes in an apparent nervous smile along the way. Observe him in press conferences, and a picture emerges of someone who loves the game and is good at it, but who doesn’t care about being perceived as an important player or even a star. You get the sense that he understands he’s blessed to have this opportunity and plays without the weight of the world on his shoulders.
Holland is more than just well-liked by his teammates. They certainly love playing with him, but off the court the native of the Bronx is no different. Darryl Partin, who transferred into the program after spending two seasons at La Salle, describes him as “an incredible guy.”
“He’s a happy person to be around. You can come to him about anything,” said the junior guard.
The senior wing is a good student who flew under the radar in high school, which is hard to do in the New York area. He also played varsity baseball in high school, but basketball was the sport that came calling for the next level. In keeping with the theme of the importance of others, Holland has also done community service work with autistic children, no doubt influenced by his parents’ background in education.
Boston University will take on Kansas in the NCAA Tournament. The team faces long odds of moving on past that game, as Kansas is one of the No. 1 seeds. Asked what will be the biggest thing he will take away from this experience, Holland said being with his teammates will stand out above all. It’s the kind of thing you can expect from the young man.
No matter what happens, Holland will be one young man that fans can be happy about getting the chance to compete in such a game. There are a lot of quality young men, both on and off the court, who never get this chance. And John Holland probably wouldn’t mind if you don’t notice he has this chance in the first place.
