morgan n' 7™
02-13-2008, 03:34 AM
Holmes bids for more playing time
Published: Wednesday, February 13, 2008 - 2:00 am
By Rick Scoppe
COLUMBIA BUREAU
rscoppe@greenvillenews.com (rscoppe@greenvillenews.com)
COLUMBIA -- Coach Dave Odom hasn't always been happy with what he's got from University of South Carolina freshman Mike Holmes in practice.
But the last two weeks Odom has no complaints.
"No player on our team has worked harder the last two weeks than Mike Holmes," Odom said Tuesday as the Gamecocks (11-11, 3-5 in the Southeastern Conference) prepared to face Georgia (11-10, 2-6) in Athens tonight.
Don't look for the 6-foot-7, 230-pound Holmes to start against the Bulldogs, who are in the midst of a season-worst five-game losing streak.
The Gamecocks will continue to go with its smaller lineup that gives them a 3-point threat at all five positions. But with the Bulldogs' size inside Holmes may get the nod off the bench ahead of 6-9, 216-pound Sam Muldrow.
Holmes played 11 minutes in USC's last-second 66-65 loss Saturday to No. 23 Vanderbilt, scoring six points and grabbing three rebounds. In his last four games he had one point and one rebound in 14 total minutes.
But Holmes got the minutes that usually went to Muldrow.
"I felt we needed a bigger body," Odom said. "I thought he was active. ...
• I would think we're looking at a similar scenario (tonight) because they've got four (big) guys, and Mike has a bigger body. He can take a more pounding and can dish out more physicality."
Holmes, who is averaging 6.6 points and 4.6 rebounds, said he was "just ready to play harder." And while he rated this year as a seven on a 10-point scale, he knows he could have done more.
"I know I'm capable of playing harder. I should have been doing that the whole season to help out my team," he said. "I think I let them down a little bit by not playing like I know how to play."
About a month ago Odom said Holmes was still adjusting to college basketball. At Lee Central High School, he was almost always the biggest and best player on the court and could "get any shot" he wanted, Odom said.
"Now (he's) having trouble manufacturing those same shots. He's trying to come to grips to that mentally right now," Odom said at the time. "I think when he comes to grips with that he'll be much better. I think that'll happen sooner than later."
Holmes also takes mistakes to heart a bit too much instead of learning from it and shaking it off.
"He's not experienced enough to play on," Odom said. "It's part of growing up. He wants to do well so much. ...
• It's a self-esteem thing.
"You just got to work your way through it. He will be fine. He's talented. He runs. He jumps. He's strong. He's got what it takes."
Holmes said the adjustment from high school to college was harder than he expected and that he thought he knew more about basketball than he did.
"Like coach when he came to me saying, 'Mike, why ain't you working hard,"' Holmes said. "I thought I was. But he knows. He's the coach. I just listened to what he had to say."
And worked harder.
http://greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080213/SPORTS0102/802130379/1026
Published: Wednesday, February 13, 2008 - 2:00 am
By Rick Scoppe
COLUMBIA BUREAU
rscoppe@greenvillenews.com (rscoppe@greenvillenews.com)
COLUMBIA -- Coach Dave Odom hasn't always been happy with what he's got from University of South Carolina freshman Mike Holmes in practice.
But the last two weeks Odom has no complaints.
"No player on our team has worked harder the last two weeks than Mike Holmes," Odom said Tuesday as the Gamecocks (11-11, 3-5 in the Southeastern Conference) prepared to face Georgia (11-10, 2-6) in Athens tonight.
Don't look for the 6-foot-7, 230-pound Holmes to start against the Bulldogs, who are in the midst of a season-worst five-game losing streak.
The Gamecocks will continue to go with its smaller lineup that gives them a 3-point threat at all five positions. But with the Bulldogs' size inside Holmes may get the nod off the bench ahead of 6-9, 216-pound Sam Muldrow.
Holmes played 11 minutes in USC's last-second 66-65 loss Saturday to No. 23 Vanderbilt, scoring six points and grabbing three rebounds. In his last four games he had one point and one rebound in 14 total minutes.
But Holmes got the minutes that usually went to Muldrow.
"I felt we needed a bigger body," Odom said. "I thought he was active. ...
• I would think we're looking at a similar scenario (tonight) because they've got four (big) guys, and Mike has a bigger body. He can take a more pounding and can dish out more physicality."
Holmes, who is averaging 6.6 points and 4.6 rebounds, said he was "just ready to play harder." And while he rated this year as a seven on a 10-point scale, he knows he could have done more.
"I know I'm capable of playing harder. I should have been doing that the whole season to help out my team," he said. "I think I let them down a little bit by not playing like I know how to play."
About a month ago Odom said Holmes was still adjusting to college basketball. At Lee Central High School, he was almost always the biggest and best player on the court and could "get any shot" he wanted, Odom said.
"Now (he's) having trouble manufacturing those same shots. He's trying to come to grips to that mentally right now," Odom said at the time. "I think when he comes to grips with that he'll be much better. I think that'll happen sooner than later."
Holmes also takes mistakes to heart a bit too much instead of learning from it and shaking it off.
"He's not experienced enough to play on," Odom said. "It's part of growing up. He wants to do well so much. ...
• It's a self-esteem thing.
"You just got to work your way through it. He will be fine. He's talented. He runs. He jumps. He's strong. He's got what it takes."
Holmes said the adjustment from high school to college was harder than he expected and that he thought he knew more about basketball than he did.
"Like coach when he came to me saying, 'Mike, why ain't you working hard,"' Holmes said. "I thought I was. But he knows. He's the coach. I just listened to what he had to say."
And worked harder.
http://greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080213/SPORTS0102/802130379/1026