An article on IU Coach Tom Crean

From the Oversigning site,comes an article about how (Indiana Coach Tom Crean seemingly will have to cut a player or some players he signed in order to have scholarships available for higher potential recruits.

Some see this as a black-and-white issue, others view shades of gray in it. Another opinion is that the need to win forces a coach's decision.

It is a solid test of a person's values in a profession that at least at the higher levels requires W-L success.

Do read the article and also the comments following it.

What's also worth noting is the incoming ordnance now Detroit Titan Eli Holman endured after his widely reported meeting with Crean a few of years back..

Here's one early report (notice the four words highlighted in black).

Here's the link that tells the truth.

An orchestrated transfer or not, when a player says he wants to leave, so be it. Call up and ream out the orchestrator. Then move on. Coaches move on -- as Crean exemplified when he left 'his' players behind at Marquette upon taking the Indiana job.

Let's see if Crean 'encourages' some movement among his current squad, or not.

Eli Holman honored

Former Richmond High star Eli Holman recently received a couple of honors. As a member of Detroit, Eli was named to the All-Horizon League second team as well as placed on the conference all-defensive squad.

Notes on former Richmond High star Eli Holman, now at Detroit

* Junior Eli Holman has seven double-doubles, which ranks 15th nationally through games of Jan. 3. He also is 7th in rebounds nationally per game (11.1).

* LEADING THE LEAGUE

Eli Holman leads the Horizon League in both offensive (3.7 rpg) and defensive (7.3 rpg) rebounds per game heading into this week (11.1 total.  He is also tops in field goal percentage, connecting on 59.5 percent of his shots (69-of-116) and is 5th in blocks (1.5 bpg) and 19th in scoring (12.3 ppg).

* HE’S BEEN AROUND THE BLOCK

Junior Eli Holman recorded career block No. 100 on Saturday in the overtime loss vs. Milwaukee. Holman swatted three shots in the game to give him 22 for the season and 99 as a Titan (3 with Indiana as a freshman).

An Eli Holman update

Former Richmond High star Eli Holman is doing quite well at Detroit. He is averaging a double-double of 15.0 points and 11.6 rebounds a game, both tops on the Titans and the latter a league best. The junior is also shooting 64% from the field.

Holman was named Horizon league Player of the Week on November 29.

An Eli Holman update

It took a while but Eli Holman finally wound up at Detroit, got back on the court and enjoyed a successful initial season with the Titans.

Here is Perry Farrell/Detroit Free Press in a recent article: "...Junior Eli Holman is ready to become the top big man in the conference. He averaged 11.8 points and 8.9 rebounds last season and could average double figures in rebounding and scoring..."

Here is Eli talking about Detroit hoops in a Michael Martinez/FOX article: "...It’s very big (for the team),” forward Eli Holman said. “You have an All-American point guard coming in, joining a returning big man who led the conference in three categories, plus Chase Simon, who led the team in scoring. I look at it as a Big Three, although everybody has a role to play.”

The big man Holman refers to is himself. In his first full season in Detroit, he led the Horizon League in rebounds, blocks and field-goal percentage..."

Here's a video interview with Eli.

An Eli Holman update

Here's a Bleacher Report update on former Richmond High star Eli Holman, now entering his third year at Detroit.

Good Things on The Horizon For The UDM Titans
Kevin Neaton
Bleacher Report
August 10, 2010

The Detroit Titans basketball program has seen a nice turnaround since 3rd year head coach Ray McCallum Sr. has taken over at the helm.  Prior to taking the head coaching job at UDM, McCallum was an assistant coach at the University of Indiana.  McCallum knew it would be tough to revive a program that had struggled mightily in recent years and he seemed to be fully prepared for the challenge...

...In the 2009-10 campaign, the Titans quickly turned things around by finishing with a 20-14 record.  With the highly skilled big man Eli Holman eligible to play, he showed how great of an impact he could have by averaging 12 points, 9 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game and became the teams go to guy. Coach McCallum was able to install a great half-court, man to man defense that allowed the Titans to stay in games when they were struggling offensively...

Go here for the remainder.

An Eli Holman game saver

Former Richmond High star Eli Holman showed no mercy with his last-second shotblock in a win over Illinois-Chicago:

Eli Holman preserves Detroit Mercy's victory over Illinois-Chicago
Tom Markowski
The Detroit News
January 30, 2010

At 6 foot 10 and 255 pounds Eli Holman isn't the fastest player at Detroit Mercy, but he moved fast enough to make the biggest block of his brief career.

Holman, a sophomore playing his first season at UDM, blocked Robo Kreps' 3-point attempt with two seconds left to preserve UDM's 76-73 victory over Illinois-Chicago on Saturday at Calihan Hall.

Xavier Keeling's free throw with 7.3 seconds left gave the Titans a 3-point lead. UIC (5-16, 1-10) quickly brought the ball upcourt and Kreps shot from 12 feet right of the top of the key.

"I had my eyes on Kreps," Holman said. "I knew, with the game on the line, that he would take the shot. I had to shoot across the court to get there. I was on the other end. I knew he was going to get it..."

Go here for the remainder.

Eli Holman dunking

Here's former Richmond High player Eli Holman doing something familiar -- Detroit was playing Michigan December 13 in Ann Arbor when this took place. All credit for this photo goes to the Associated Press. Here is a great gallery of AP college basketball photos.

An Eli Holman update

Former Richmond Higher Eli Holman is back on the court and doing well:

Holman MVP, Titans Complete NY Sweep With 79-59 Win Over Alcorn State

Three games, three days, three wins. That was the end result Sunday as the Titans closed out the Albany sub-regional of the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer by rolling up their fourth straight victory overall, 79-59 over Alcorn State, behind center Eli Holman’s second consecutive double-double.

UDM comes home from the event with a 4-1 record for the season and its first four-game winning streak since late in the 2005 season. Holman led the way with 16 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks against the Braves (0-6), while Xavier Keeling paced the Titans in scoring with 17 points and Chase Simon added 15 more as three Titans posted double figures in the victory.

Holman was named tournament MVP and Keeling joined him on the all-tournament team...

Go here for the remainder.

Here's an even better Eli Holman article

Came across a much more thorough Eli Holman article -- credit Jeff Faraudo for digging into Eli Holman -- past, present and future:

Eli Holman finds happiness at Detroit Mercy
Jeff Faraudo
Oakland Tribune
11/09/2009

Fans who haven't seen Eli Holman play basketball since his senior season at Richmond High in 2006-07 may be struck by his physical maturation when Detroit Mercy faces 13th-ranked Cal on Wednesday night at Haas Pavilion in the Coaches vs. Cancer tournament.

At 6-foot-10, 255 pounds, Holman has grown an inch and gained nearly 40 pounds since his high school graduation.

Those aren't the changes for which his mother is most grateful.

"I'm very thankful to God for where he's brought Elijah as far as decision-making and working on the temper. He is learning that is something that's controllable,'' Kaylynn Trotter said. "The maturity level is blowing me away..."

Go here for the remainder.

Eli Holman back on the court

photo courtesy of Julian H. Gonzalez, Detroit Free Press

It seems like eons ago that Eli Holman was at Richmond High and now he finally is returning to the basketball court as a member of the Detroit Titans. Is he really up to 255?

Here's a good story on both Holman and the Detroit program:

Titans eager to prove themselves
Perry Farrell
Detroit Free Press
October 17, 2009

With 15 practices in August and a five-game winning streak in Spain, the Detroit Mercy men's basketball team is expecting big things this season, none bigger than center Eli Holman.

When coach Ray McCallum was hired before last season, Holman transferred from Indiana and had to sit out a season.

Now eligible, Holman, a sophomore, averaged 20 points and 15 rebounds during the trip to Spain. At 6-feet-9 and 255 pounds, Holman can be a beast in the middle, which is what the Titans need...

Go here for the remainder.

Eli Holman is back on the court

It's good to see that Eli Holman is back on the basketball court, playing for Detroit after his transfer from Indiana. He's now listed as 6-foot-9, 250 pounds.

Day 4: Keeling, Holman Pace Titans To Second Straight Win In Spain

Led by Xavier Keeling's 21 points and Eli Holman's 20, the Detroit Titans notched their second consecutive win of the exhibition tour in Spain, 97-48 over Girona on Saturday.

Holman was also dynamic on the boards, pulling down 12 rebounds, while also blocking eight shots.

Eli Holman and Detroit at Cal in November

Here's a heads up: according to Jeff Faraudo's article in the CC Times, Detroit is coming out west to face Cal on November 11. Former Richmond High star Eli Holman is on the Detroit basketball squad.