Mandatory Credit: Jim O
When news struck that Isaiah Taylor could miss up to six weeks with a broken wrist, the Texas Longhorns were left with a big void to fill. Since his injury, it has became clear that Jonathan Holmes, the only senior on the team, is prepared to step up to the plate and take on a bigger role.
The Longhorns couldn’t afford to skip a beat in Taylor’s absence. One night following the point guard’s injury, they were set to match up against the California Golden Bears, fresh off of a 73-59 victory over the 23rd ranked Syracuse, in the finals of the 2K Classic. While the rest of the roster struggled to find their groove — they shot just 13-for-38 from the field — it was Holmes who broke out in a big way. In 32 minutes, the senior scored 21 points and pulled down 13 rebounds. In the process, he was named the MVP of the tournament and helped the Longhorns lift their first ever 2K Classic title.
In the next two games, Holmes struggled to score efficiently, combining for just 16 points on 5-for-17 shooting. One of those performances carried no weight — the Longhorns trounced St. Francis by 32 points. Against Connecticut, though, Holmes was a non-factor on the offensive end for most of the night, and it hurt the Longhorns as a result. The Huskies did a formidable job of making Holmes’ life difficult by using their quickness and length to their advantage. For 39 minutes and 55.6 seconds, they succeeded.
But in those final 4.4 seconds, Holmes made the biggest play of the night. Down by two points, he curled off of a screen to the left corner and found himself open for a three-pointer in his sweet spot. With all 7-feet of Amida Brimah closing out on him, he got off a high arcing three just in the nick of time. It touched nothing but the net.
The Huskies tried to reply by getting off a quick shot, but they turned the ball over. The Longhorns walked away victorious, pushing their record to 6-0 on the season. More importantly, they’re now 3-0 without Taylor in uniform.
Taylor announced on Sunday that he’s aiming to return for the Big 12 opener, which will take place on January 3rd against Texas Tech. Between now and then, the Longhorns have a favorable stretch, hosting Texas State, Lipscomb, Long Beach State, Stanford, and Rice at home. Their only road game is against the Kentucky Wildcats on December 5th, the top ranked team in the nation.
The Longhorns could very well find themselves with a 12-1 record by the time Taylor returns, especially if Holmes continues to play like an All-American. His ability to knock down threes at a high rate has forced teams to play him honestly, thereby opening up lanes to the basket for both the guards and big men. His versatility on the defensive end has made a tremendous difference, too, and he continues to wreak havoc on the glass.
Taylor’s value has proven to be invaluable over the opening three weeks of the season, and it’s helped turn Texas into one of the scariest teams in the nation even without Taylor.