For whatever reason this season, I haven’t been able to catch Holmes much. I watched them a few times early in the year, and haven’t really been able to see them play a meaningful game since. While Tuesday night’s dismantling of Ryle didn’t give me a great measuring stick to put the Bulldogs up against, it did make me feel like writing some more about this team. Here is a solid half hour’s worth of mindless key-punching… Hopefully it makes some sense.
The Atmosphere
First of all, let’s start with the new Under Armour threads the Bulldogs have this year. I don’t know why I haven’t commented on them before now, but I should have. The home white jerseys are pretty slick, especially the shorts, and I like their warm-ups as well. More than anything, I’m a fan of seeing teams differentiate from the norm, and it’s cool to see Under Armour making it’s way onto the high school scene.
While we’re on aesthetics and things completely unrelated to the game, Holmes’ gym has been brightened up a little bit over the past few years with subtle improvements and it really looks nice. They have some new Bulldog murals painted on the walls above the stands, brighter lights for the court, and some other minor tweaks that have made the place a little nicer. I’m also a fan of the Holmes’ player intros when they shut off the lights and shine a spotlight on the huddle with the old 1998 Chicago Bulls intro music going.
One of the four murals at Holmes.
The Backcourt
The makeup of this Holmes backcourt is interesting to me, because it’s very different from the last few years.
I don’t know if it’s better or worse for that fact, but I just know it’s different.
In their starting lineup right now, the Bulldogs feature two sub six-foot guards that can shoot the ball in junior BJ Coston and sophomore Quan Palmer. This has not been typical of Holmes’ teams in the past. They usually do not start two smallish guards that are known for their shooting ability. These kids are both legit threats from beyond the arc though.
The part that’s interesting is that they are playing fast and thriving in Head Coach Jason Booher’s uptempo system. They are flying to jump ball-handlers who speed dribble, and are making them pay by pick-pocketing on spin moves and crossovers. They’re also doing a great job of going defense to offense and playing fast in transition to get easy buckets.
In the half-court though, they are not the creators. They are looking to fade on the perimeter and get an open look from three. This presents an interesting dynamic for both the Holmes’ offense and opposing defenses.
Holmes is giving the ball to Dontel Rice, Jared Martin and Chris Englemon – also known as their starting front-court, and asking those guys to make plays in the lane or look to kick. Meanwhile, defenses are having to figure out what they’re really trying to stop. Holmes is at it’s best when they’re attacking the rim, getting transition points, getting second chance points and Rice is dominating. However, playing a zone and trying to clog the lane could result in giving up a big game to Coston or Palmer, who can get hot in a hurry from the outside.
Palmer, in particular, has a really nice feel for the game, and they both are content to let the game come to them. They don’t force too much of the action, and because of that, they don’t take their team out of games with bad shots and turnovers.
Where am I going with all of this? I’m not exactly sure… yet. I’m just intrigued by the make-up of Holmes’ current rotation, and am interested to see how this back-court forms and gels the rest of the season.
Jared Martin
The Jared Martin Fan Club
Can someone tell me why there’s not one?
What’s that? You don’t know who Jared Martin is? That’s my point. Why is no one talking about this kid?
There might not be a more under-appreciated player in the area than Holmes’ senior wing. Martin, only listed at 6-0, is a strong, athletic wing that just gets things done. The type of kid that doesn’t get his name in the paper as the top scorer often, but the team would sorely miss if he weren’t in the lineup on a nightly basis.
Martin is physical and wreaks havoc on the defensive end. He’s versatile, capable of guarding a perimeter player or a forward. Offensively, he’s not the most skilled, but he’s hard to stop in transition and has a high motor when it comes to crashing the glass.
The crazy thing is, Martin isn’t the type of player who just has to be a role player and do the dirty work. He can be a standout stat-stuffer type of contributor for the Bulldogs, and he’s shown some signs of that recently. Last week against Campbell County, Martin finished with 20 points, six rebounds and six assists.
This is a kid to watch heading into the home stretch of the season. If he gets going at the right time, it could add another major weapon for the Bulldogs, and give opponents one more athlete that becomes a match-up nightmare.
The Dominant Dontel
Dontel Rice
Dontel Rice is one of the most special talents in Northern Kentucky.
There’s no way around the fact that he can do things physically that no one else playing in the 9th Region can do. His body control, his leaping ability and his skill-set makes him a rare package in the 859.
But the thing is, that has never been in question with him. Rice’s potential has always been known. People have expected him to dominate for the last two years.
As clear as the above statements are, it’s just as clear that he’s the key to the Bulldogs’ long-term success this season. They don’t need him to be pretty good, they need him to be great on a consistent basis to get where they want to go. He’s the one guy on their team that is a complete mismatch, and takes Holmes from an arguably top five team, capable of losing to anyone, to a top team, capable of running through the 9th Region Tournament and making it to Rupp again.
Over the last two weeks, Rice is starting to look like the switch has finally been left in the on position. He was dominant Tuesday night, which was a continuation of what he started last week. The 6-5 forward went for 24 points and 10 rebounds against West Jessamine. Then followed that up with a 27 point and 13 rebound performance against Campbell County.
The reality of the situation is that if Rice plays aggressive, with confidence and with a high-motor every time out, no one in the 9th Region is going to be able to stop him. There’s just no one on his level athletically, and he is also able to step out and knock down the occasional jumper or get to the rim off the bounce. Opponents’ best bet is to step in the lane and hope to take a charge or two and get him in foul trouble.
Holmes is one of the teams capable of making a three-game run through the 9th Region tournament, but to do it, they’ll need the dominant Dontel Rice.
James Bolden
The Freshman
If you’ve seen Holmes play this year, a thin little freshman wearing number three might have stood out to you. That freshman is James Bolden.
You might as well learn the name… You’re going to hear it plenty over the next three years.
Despite only seeing limited minutes off the Holmes’ bench, Bolden is as talented a guard prospect as there is in Northern Kentucky right now. That’s not to say Coach Booher doesn’t know what he’s doing, because he does. He’s playing the right guys, while slowly mixing his talented youngster into the rotation more and more.
Bolden isn’t like the typical kid you see getting varsity minutes at a young age. He’s not physically developed. He doesn’t look like he’s 17. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. He stands out because he’s only 5-10, can’t weigh more than 155 or so, and still manages to go out on the court and carve up juniors and seniors with his lightning quick crossover or array of various other moves. The kid can maneuver with a basketball in his hands. What’s most promising about Bolden though, is he seems to be an unselfish point guard with a natural feel for the game.
There’s no question that if he grows a little more and adds some strength to his frame, he is going to be one of the top point guards in the area. College coaches, you’ve been notified.
All photos are courtesy of Bob Jackson – Click here to see all of his online albums
