Hempstead's Holloway on a roll for Xavier
Xavier's Tu Holloway celebrates in the closing seconds of the second half of a South Regional NCAA tournament second-round game. (March 16, 2012) Credit: AP
ATLANTA -- Tu Holloway could have chosen to look at this as a Bittersweet 16.
On the court, there isn't much not to like for a guy who leads his team in points, assists, steals, free-throw percentage and minutes, and has helped Xavier reach its fourth NCAA regional semifinal in five seasons.
But off the court, he has been dealing since December with the fallout from the notorious fight against Cincinnati in which he played a central role, particularly in its controversial aftermath.
So, on balance, knowing what he knows now, is he happy with his decision last spring to pass up the NBA for one last year in college? Holloway didn't hesitate Thursdayto offer an unequivocal yes. Sweet it is.
"I'm not only happy with the decision I made as far as coming back; I'm about to graduate from Xavier,'' the point guard from Hempstead said on the eve of the Musketeers' South Regional semifinal against Baylor.
"Also, we've been through a lot this year. Not only basketball, but the things we've been through are going to help us all out as people later in life.''
Everyone listening understood the biggest of the "things'' Holloway referenced: the Dec. 10 fight that embarrassed both crosstown rivals on national TV.
Holloway was in the middle of it, not throwing punches but throwing inflammatory verbal jabs. Later, he made things worse by seeming not to understand the gravity of the situation.
"We're grown men over here," he said in part. "We got a whole bunch of gangsters in the locker room -- not thugs, but tough guys on the court. We went out there and zipped 'em up at the end of the game."
The tone and content shocked college basketball, including Xavier coach Chris Mack. One day later, Holloway sought to clarify his comments and issued a profuse apology. That helped, but it did not erase the memory. Then Xavier, after starting 8-0, lost five of its next six.
As recently as late January, Holloway spoke in a candid interview with ESPN.com about how the fight's aftermath had affected him on and off the court, saying, "It just hasn't been fun. It's more like a job."
Adding to his malaise was the way the 2010-11 season ended. He thought he was NBA-bound. Then Xavier lost its first game in the NCAAs to Marquette, with Holloway scoring five points and shooting 1-for-8. He did apply for the draft but he did not hire an agent, which allowed him to eventually withdraw his name.
In recent weeks, though, the confident, aggressive Holloway appears to have returned, which bodes well for No. 10 seed Xavier (23-12) as it seeks to upset No. 3 Baylor (29-7).
He has scored more than 20 points in five of his last six games. Another victory here -- or even better, two more -- and Holloway can further rewrite the finish to his college story.
Mack credited him with how he has handled himself. He also credited the stability Xavier has provided after Holloway spent time at five high schools, including Hempstead and St. Dominic.
"It's a very tight-knit community," the coach said. "Prior to coming to Xavier, he'd been so many different places for short periods of time. I think he's really found a home at Xavier."
Holloway also has learned more about himself and his responsibilities.
"After that [Dec. 10] game, it made me realize how many kids I was a role model to at home," he said. "We're just trying to look forward from that point, but we are going to continue to remember that we're always role models."
