Holifield reflects on past, looks to the future

Press Sports Editor
sports@presspublications.com

Joey Holifield is working to achieve his dream of playing professional basketball.
It may not be in the United States, but the Cardinal Stritch alum is hoping to play somewhere, and now he’s working at refining his game while he and his agent wait for that phone call.
Holifield, who played for Toledo native Dennis Hopson at Lourdes University for three years following one season at Oakland University in Detroit, is living in Columbus while he focuses on becoming a better basketball player.
“I’m looking to take that step and prepare myself to go overseas. Now, I work out every day, play as much as I can to work on my game and my body,” said Holifield, who signed with his agent back in April. “I’m trying to prepare for myself mentally and physically.
“I get up on Monday, I go lift, I get in a basketball workout and relax. On Tuesday, I’m on the track, get my conditioning and a basketball workout in. I take care of myself and my body; I’m just doing my own thing. I’m just really focused, and I want to be the best I can be when I go overseas.”
Holifield helped the Gray Wolves qualify for the NAIA Tournament in each of his three seasons playing in Sylvania, and his final season saw him average 17.1 points and 6.1 assists on 46.3% shooting.
In Holifield’s three years at Lourdes, the Wolves went 68-24 (.739).
“It was great going to Lourdes – I look at it as, the competition wasn’t great, but there were great players in the NAIA. If you can play, you can play (anywhere),” he said. “I learned a lot about basketball. I got better, and I grew so much as a person on and off the court. I learned a lot. We did a lot of great things, and I have a lot to be thankful for. “Dennis Hopson taught me a lot. He believed in me, and as a player, you can’t ask for anything better than that. He’s the same way off the court – he makes sure your life is good. If you need him, he’s always available. He was great for me, and I appreciate him a lot.”
Holifield talked about some of the memories he’ll take with him from Lourdes.
“We made the tournament three times. In my first year, we won the conference tournament. I made a lot of friends and learned a lot from the older guys. I just took it in for those three years. I just worked every day, I worked as much as I could, and I worked to be better,” he said. “I wanted to show the guys, if you want something, you’ve got to work for it. Those are the things I learned. I built relationships with the coaches, and just the bonds, the great friends. Ten years down the road, a (teammate) might own a business, and you might want to collaborate with them.”
Holifield credited two teammates in particular, Nick Welch and Ray White.
“They were guys before me that I watched. I watched and I didn’t have the college part outside of basketball,” Holifield said. “They were all great people, and that’s important.”
One of Holifield’s Cardinal Stritch teammates, Little Anderson, also played for the Wolves.
“It was great to be able to suit up again with him – it was not in our plans,” said Holifield. “We know a lot about each other’s game. It was great to play with him again, and we enjoyed it.”
In high school, Holifield played for Jamie Kachmarik, a seasoned coach who was an assistant for a number of colleges at the Division I level for over a decade before he returned home to Northwest Ohio. (Kachmarik is now the coach at St. Francis de Sales.) As a senior, Holifield was an all-Ohioan and helped the Cardinals win a Division III regional title.
“Jamie Kachmarik was at the collegiate level for a while. He learned a lot, he had a lot of great experiences there, and he brought that to high school. He’d always talk to us about being at that level, and what to expect,” said Holifield. “He let me know that going to the next level, it’s not going to be easy — it’s faster, more physical, you got to have a high basketball I.Q. He taught me that as a person, and each year, he just added on. He was instrumental (in my success), I wouldn’t be where I am today without him. To this day, he still gives me advice. Our relationship is still the same.”
At this point, Holifield can only continue to work hard and wait patiently, he says.
“My agent said that I have to make sure I’m staying ready. The call could come at any day. A lot of people like to say they went overseas and played, but I want to go over there and make a name for myself,” he said. “I’m doing everything I can, I’m dedicating myself to this.
“It’s not over. I’m working as hard as I can,” he said.