Duo reflects on Stritch alum Joey Holifield’s storied career

Press Sports Editor
sports@presspublications.com

It’s been a gradual process, but led by the likes of Cardinal Stritch alum Joey Holifield, the Lourdes Grey Wolves have worked to climb the ladder in the NAIA and establish themselves as one of the top teams in the country.
It was the third consecutive season that Lourdes qualified for the NAIA Tournament, and Holifield was instrumental in leading the Wolves to new heights.
Will this be it for Holifield, who has one year of eligibility left?
That remains to be seen, but if this is it for Holifield, he can depart Sylvania knowing he’s one of the greatest players in the history of the program.
In 2023-24, he started all 29 games and averaged 17.1 points, third on the team. He also finished second on the team with 6.1 rebounds per game and averaged 2.8 assists. Holifield shot the ball well, too, making 46.3% of his field goals and was 88.9% from the free-throw line.
Lourdes reached as high as No. 7 in the national rankings but had a four-game losing streak late in the season. But the team did recover to win three in a row and earned an at-large bid into the NAIA Tournament. However, the Wolves’ season ended in the first round as they lost, 93-78, to Morningside (IA).
Lourdes began the season 19-1 and finished 22-7, which included a 17-5 mark in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference, good for second place.
The Wolves are coached by Ohio State legend and NBA champion Dennis Hopson, who graduated from Bowsher High School in 1983 before starring for the Buckeyes.
For the most part, it was a successful season, but the players and coaches know it could’ve been better.
“When we lost four in a row, four tough games on the road, I knew that it could be a struggle, and we struggled. But you have to be tough enough to know who you are and what you’ve done to that point,” said Hopson. “I don’t know that during the stretch we were tough enough to (maintain) what we’d started. We went from No. 7 (in the country) to being out of the top 25. If you’re in control of the car, if you have the keys, why give it away? I don’t think we fought hard enough.”
For the most part, Holifield, a 6-4 guard, echoed those sentiments.
“It was a solid season, but we could’ve done better,” he said. “Things happened, and I learned a lot about this season and our team. We had a great team, did some things well, but it just didn’t happen like we wanted it to.”
Holifield said he is grateful for what Hopson and the assistant coaches — Jake DuPree, Steven Corggens and Brady Perry — have done for him.
“I appreciate my coaches for what they’ve done for me in these three years,” Holifield said. “They helped me grow and bump my head, helping me along the way. It’s been a great ride.”
The three-headed monster of Holifield, Jackie Harris (18.1 points, 7.4 rebounds) and Shaunn Monroe (17.8 points, 3.7 assists) led the Wolves throughout the season, and the trio were the only players to start all 29 games.
Harris, a 6-6 forward, is a local product who played at St. Francis de Sales. He was at Wayne State University in Detroit before transferring to Lourdes. Monroe, meanwhile, is a 5-11 guard who attended Pikeville University in Kentucky.
One of the marquee wins was an 84-81 triumph over Cornerstone (MI), a perennial power in the NAIA. In the game, Holifield scored on a jumper with 30 seconds remaining to break an 81-81 tie, and the Wolves hung on from there.
Harris led the way with 21 points, followed by Holifield (16) and Monroe (15).
Another was an 81-68 triumph in overtime over Madonna, which won the WHAC. Trailing by six points with 3:32 to play, Lourdes went on a 6-0 run to close out regulation and scored the first 14 points of overtime to defeat the Crusaders. Harris hit two 3-pointers to start the extra session, and the Wolves were 5-of-5 shooting, including 5-of-6 from the charity stripe.
Harris and Monroe both scored 16 points.
As for Holifield, he played for one season at Oakland University in Michigan before deciding to join Hopson. “The last three years have been great. I can’t ask for a better coach or a better staff. I learned a lot about myself, the game, on and off the court,” said Holifield. “I’ve grown so much as a basketball player, and I’ve had a lot of success. I wasn’t the same player as I was when I came here. I learned so much coming here, and I’ll remember that forever. I had to work hard.”
Hopson talked about Holifield’s growth as a player.
“I think Joey’s shooting got better. We encourage (taking) jump shots and shooting the basketball when you’re open. He wasn’t a guy that wanted to take a lot of 3-pointers, but if you’re open, we want you to shoot the 3s,” said Hopson. “He’s still an old-school guy where the percentages mean something. Joey is a do-all guy; he’s undersized, but he was second on the team in rebounding and first in getting to the free-throw line.”
In five years, Hopson is 97-41 (.703) at Lourdes. The only reason he hasn’t reached the 100-win milestone is because of the shortened season due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished, I want to keep this train rolling as long as possible. Sustaining it is my concern,” he said. “This is my fifth season, and kids like Joey and Jackie don’t come along like that all the time. We might be able to get them on the back end, but we probably won’t get them first. It can only be sustainable (if we) get the resources that we need.
“I’m excited about the players I’ve had here for five years. We’ve been in the national tournament in the last three years and won the conference tournament title a few years ago. It’s not fun getting there and then losing. Hopefully, we’ll get the right mindset to go out there and compete and hopefully get over the hump.”
In the meantime, Hopson will work to get more players to come play at Lourdes.
“Recruiting never stops,” he said. “That’s the only way you can be good.”
Hopson would sure like to have Holifield back.
“Joey has another year here if he wants it; I’m not sure if he’ll come back,” said Hopson. “He has another year, but it’s on him. We’d like to see him come back.”
And last but not least, there is the challenge that comes with balancing academics with basketball
“I’ve gotten used to having to have a schedule – that’s what it’s all about – holding yourself accountable and giving yourself enough time for both (endeavors),” Holifield said. “When you’re a freshman in college, it’s probably a struggle, but once you get the hang of it, get that rhythm and schedule, it’s much easier.”