Holmes plays the ‘Robin’ role for H-F
Junior guard scores 21 points as Vikings repeat as champions of Hinsdale Central Holiday Classic
Junior guard Nashawn Holmes is continuing a family tradition at Homewood-Flossmoor.
His dad, Nick, Sr., and his brother, Nick Jr., both played for the Vikings. Nick Jr. is now an assistant coach for the Vikings.
“Basketball runs in the family,” Nashawn said. “I’ve been playing since third grade. I’d come watch my brother’s games at H-F, and I always looked forward to playing here too.”
Holmes is starting to create his own legacy. He scored 21 points Wednesday night in a 62-44 win over previously unbeaten Oswego East in the Hinsdale Central Holiday Classic championship game.
“I’m really fired up right now,” Holmes said. “We’re on a winning streak and I want to keep it going. I’m ready, for real.”
H-F (8-2) has won seven straight since a slow start during Thanksgiving week that included losses to Hyde Park and Marian Catholic in the Chicago Heights Classic.
H-F coach Marc Condotti said Holmes would have played on the varsity as a sophomore in a normal season. With a shortened schedule due to COVID-19, Holmes was kept on the sophomore team in favor of giving playing time to seniors.
He prepared for varsity ball, however, by playing over the summer with the Meanstreets 16U team.
“That really helped me a lot,” Holmes said. “Before that, I was making a lot of mistakes, and that made me a calm player.
“It was a reality check. I saw I needed to do a lot more, get way better and really become a leader of my team.”
Condotti said Holmes has done just that.
“He’s really skilled,” Condotti said. “He has a high basketball IQ. He obviously can do a lot out there on the floor. He’s gifted and he’s really starting to come into his own.
“He leads us on offense and defense, so he’s really irreplaceable for us right now.”
Holmes has formed a nice inside-outside duo with senior forward Christian Meeks, who continued his huge season by scoring 29 points in each of the Vikings’ first two wins at Hinsdale Central.
When Meeks got into foul trouble and was held to five points in the semifinal against Stevenson, Holmes led the way with 14 points.
“I like it,” Holmes said. “We’re Batman and Robin. I’ll be his Robin. I’m cool with that.”
H-F became the first team to win back-to-back Hinsdale Central Holiday Classic championships, doing it in unconventional fashion. The Vikings won the title in 2019 and the tournament was canceled in 2020.
Meeks was part of the 2019 team.
“It’s great going 8-0 at this tournament,” Meeks said. “I told the guys we had a chance to make history and you don’t get a lot of chances to do that.”
Rodgers out: Illinois recruit Ty Rodgers was sidelined for Thornton’s losses to Hyde Park in the semifinals and Perspectives-Leadership in the third-place game of the Big Dipper.
Wildcats coach Tai Streets expects his star to return soon.
“He pulled a hamstring in our last game before Christmas,” Streets said. “He thought he was OK. At the very end of the second game, he started feeling it again.
“I think it will be a shortterm thing. He’ll be all right. We had to be smart.”
Rodgers scored 24 points in the second-round game against T.F. South before re-aggravating the injury.
Mustangs just miss: Evergreen Park fell in heartbreaking fashion Thursday in the championship game of the IC Catholic Prep/ Westmont Christmas Classic. Hoffman Estates beat the Mustangs 58-57 on Darien Irvin’s basket with two seconds left.
Nolan Sexton scored 15 points and Malik Kelly added 12 points and 14 rebounds for Evergreen Park (9-4).
“These games build character,” Kelly said. “We should have won that one, but you learn from it.
“We have good chemistry. We’re all connected. We have a mix of upperclassmen and young guys. We’re doing well.”