Holmes has more time with Bulldogs on court
A few months ago, when Jazzmun Holmes and her teammates walked off of the floor at the Moda Center in Portland, Ore., it was supposed to be the final time she represented Mississippi State in an official capacity.
Holmes had plans of trying out for the WNBA and continuing her basketball career as a professional, but that opportunity never came. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise for both the talented point guard and for MSU alike as her former head coach Vic Schaefer approached her about playing with the team in the World University Games in Naples, Italy.
With the Bulldogs' representing the United States in the event, they're allowed to have players from last year's team as well as the current roster play. Junior Chloe Bibby isn't eligible being a native of Australia and sophomore center Promise Taylor is still recovering from an ankle injury. So with one spot opened up, there was no question who Schaefer was going to choose.
“I'm still baffled that Jazz is here today, as well as she takes care of the ball and as little of an ego that she has,” Schaefer said. “There's no question in my mind that she's going to get that opportunity overseas, and this is another opportunity for her and us to give her that chance to go there and play in front of a bunch of coaches.”
It's bittersweet for Holmes to be back on the Humphrey Coliseum floor and dribbling a basketball in a maroon and white jersey. She'd love to be starting her professional career at this point, but she's also enjoyed spending time with her old teammates and coaches at a place she loves.
Most importantly, the trip to Italy is going to give Holmes a chance to win a Gold medal with her team playing the game of basketball, and if the chance to play basketball somewhere else comes from this trip, it was even more worth the time put in over the last month.
“The opportunity is great,” Holmes said. “I'm glad that coach Schaefer gave me the chance to go over (to Italy) and play with them and just helping Myah (Taylor) and Aliyah (Matharu) with the whole point guard thing. I'm pretty excited about it.”
The biggest beneficiaries of the Holmes return are those two younger proteges. The sophomore Taylor and true freshman Matharu were both five star guards coming out of high school and much more highly touted than Holmes, yet both have a mountain to climb before they accomplish the things that Holmes has in her MSU career.
Holmes put together one of the great point guard seasons in MSU history last year as the leader nationally in assist/turn
over ratio and a school-record 202 assists. It's something that Taylor is striving to accomplish herself as she now steps into the same shoes that Holmes had last year as she replaced Morgan William.
“The adjustment was hard very early as far as grasping the responsibility and accountability that comes with being coach Schaefer's point guard,” Taylor said. “(Jazz) has helped me with mental toughness and grasping the information that coach Schaefer is giving us. As a point guard, we have to show leadership. I'm thankful to have her for an extra month and she's making me better each and every day.”
Taylor, Matharu and Schaefer will all hold on to the moments they get with the seasoned veteran for as long as they can the next few weeks. When that time ends, it will be time to go to work without here leadership.
Until then, blessings are being counted by Schaefer for his point guard and the work she put in for him over the years. He still goes to bat for her even after her time under his watch.
“She brings so much to our team and our program,” Schaefer said. “I'm excited about her getting a chance to go over there with us.”