Jason Holmes played more than 100 games at SIUE and finished his career with a school-record 1949 career PTS…but it is his very 1st game that stands out the most. All he did that night was set his school’s single-game scoring record with 45 PTS in a win vs. Carthage. A couple of decades later in 2012 he was inducted into the SIUE Athletics Hall of Fame and in 2018 he was named to the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame’s Silver Anniversary Team. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Jason about being a great shooter and becoming an assistant coach. Today marks the 29th anniversary of his 45-PT debut on November 20, 1993, so we take this time to remember his awesome achievement.
In November of 1993 as a freshman at SIUE you set a school record with 45 PTS against Carthage: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”? I was fortunate to be playing with 4 seniors. Our coach Jack Margenthaler gave us the green light to shoot the ball when we were open…so I did. The seniors had no problem with a freshman shooting the ball and we won the game. I think that I was only the 2nd freshman in school history to ever start on opening night.
You scored 21.2 PPG as a freshman: how were you able to make such a smooth transition from high school to college? My high school gym in New Castle, IN, was 1 of the biggest in the world and held about 10,000 people…but in D-2 we only had seating for about 1200! We played in the best conference in the state of Indiana: night in and night out we faced the best players in the state and our coach Sam Alford (father of Nevada coach Steve) had great confidence in us.
Your scoring average decreased during each of the next 3 years: how on earth did that happen?! Our team got better and made the transition from an Independent school to the Great Lakes Valley Conference, which is 1 of the best D-2 conferences in the country. I was 6’1” as a freshman and not all of our game film was accessible on the Internet back then so our opponents did not always put their best defender on me. I snuck up on people a little bit as a freshman.
You remain the all-time leading scorer in school history: what is the key to being a great scorer, and do you think that anyone will ever break your record? I think that someone will break my record: it is just a matter of time because the team continues to get better every single year. In high school I was more of a shooter but developed a 1st and 2nd step in college so that I could beat people off of the dribble.
You also hold the school record for most 3PM: what is the key to making shots from behind the arc? Getting into the gym and dedicating yourself to being a “gym rat”. I was 9 years behind Coach Alford’s son Steve and idolized him and got to watch him work out. I spent every summer in the gym and found time to take 100 FTs every day. In this era of AAU ball and travel teams those skills deteriorate: if you are playing 100 games during the summer then it takes away from your individual skill development. Some kids do not even play for their high school teams any more because they prefer the AAU circuit.
You shot at least 85 FT% during each of your 4 years: what is your secret for making FTs? The key for all scorers is to get to the FT line, which was a result of me being able to drive to the basket rather than just being a spot-up shooter. Those 7-8 FT attempts every game while shooting 85% from the line gives you a chance to score 20 PPG on a regular basis. You just have to put the time in to become a pure shooter.
In addition to playing for Coach Alford you were an assistant to a pair of great coaches in Marty Simmons (2015 CIT champ at Evansville)/Jack Margenthaler (who won 200+ games at WIU): which of them had the greatest influence on your own decision to go into coaching? I would say all 3 because they each brought something different. Coach Alford instilled the motivation in me to go to the gym at 6:30AM. Coach Margenthaler taught me the key to having a great work ethic after I saw the amount of time that he spent on game prep. Marty has a high basketball IQ and his in-game adjustments are amazing: his motion offense/scouting reports are as good as it gets.
You are currently the principal at Dunlap Valley Middle School: how do you like the job, and what do you hope to do in the future? I love the job because it is very similar to coaching. The 1st year or 2 I was not as good at it because I needed time to connect with the students, but I eventually found some success and developed a passion for it. How you handle your players as a coach is the same way that you handle your students/faculty/parents: it is about leadership/communication/working together. I do miss coaching but filled that gap a bit recently by coaching my daughter’s 4th grade team…which was the hardest thing that I have ever done!
In 2012 you were named to your alma mater’s Hall of Fame and in 2018 you were named to the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame’s Silver Anniversary Team (along with guys like Indiana State associate head coach Matthew Graves/7-time MLB All-Star Scott Rolen): what did it mean to you to receive such outstanding honors? It meant a lot because both honors were unexpected…but it also signifies that you are getting a little older! Nobody at age 20 is focused on making a Silver Anniversary team: you just love to play. You lose track of your opponents over the years but to see those names again and reflect a bit is super-cool. You get to go back into the scrapbook and reflect on all of the great things that you did when you were growing up. Life moves quickly so it is nice to slow down for a moment.
When people look back on your career, how do you want to be remembered the most? I hope I am remembered as a great teammate who played hard every day, which is what I ask of my daughter’s team. You can be a great principal/father/whatever you want…but if you are a great teammate who works hard every day then that will supersede anything else you do.
