Fansided

Here Comes Rachel Hollivay’s Offensive Game

By Howard Megdal

Mar 23, 2015; Storrs, CT, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights center Rachel Hollivay (1) and Connecticut Huskies forward Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis (23) work for the rebound during the first half in the second round of the women
Mar 23, 2015; Storrs, CT, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights center Rachel Hollivay (1) and Connecticut Huskies forward Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis (23) work for the rebound during the first half in the second round of the women /
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Mar 23, 2015; Storrs, CT, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights center Rachel Hollivay (1) and Connecticut Huskies forward Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis (23) work for the rebound during the first half in the second round of the women
Mar 23, 2015; Storrs, CT, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights center Rachel Hollivay (1) and Connecticut Huskies forward Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis (23) work for the rebound during the first half in the second round of the women /

Rutgers senior center Rachel Hollivay’s future at the next level has a great deal to do with her defense.

The 6’3″ post player is one of the elite rim protectors in college basketball. Her block percentage of 10.3 is best in the country among those who have played at least 300 minutes so far this season. This has helped Rutgers to a top-50 defense nationally, and it is nothing new for Hollivay, who topped 9 percent in block percentage last year and 11 percent her sophomore season.

The key question when it comes to projecting her as a pro is: what else can she do at the next level? Her size is good for the league, but not exceptional—6’3″ would make her about average at center. Her rebounding is solid, but unspectacular, at just 14 percent this season. Her assist percentage has improved significantly, to 6.5 percent this year from 2.4 percent as a sophomore, but that’s not a carrying tool at the next level to pair with her shot-blocking.

Her offense, though, may be. It sure looks like Hollivay is breaking through.

Early in her sophomore year, Hollivay shot 9-for-17 against Howard in a 69-38 win on November 22, 2013. This is notable because in the more than two seasons and 75 games that followed, she had only one game with double-digit shot attempts—and that came just a few weeks later, 11 attempts against Wagner on December 12, 2013.

So while she’s been an efficient shooter—54.5 percent for her career, 57.8 percent last year—she wasn’t doing so in enough volume to make a difference on the offensive end.

But in each of her last two games—December 31 against Minnesota, and Monday night against Iowa—Hollivay’s taken 12 and 10 shots, respectively. It is notable that this happened not against low majors in non-conference play, but the first two games of Rutgers’ Big Ten schedule.

Nor is this simply a feast of putbacks. Let’s watch a sequence from the Iowa game. A defender tries to gamble on the steal—Hollivay gathers the entry pass in and makes her pay.

Shortly thereafter, Rutgers goes back to Hollivay, whose tight spin move gives her ample room to put away the half-hook.

Accordingly, Iowa shifts defensive tactics, putting a different defender on her and trying to force her to the baseline. So Hollivay responded by doing this.

All of this offense leads to a very different potential profile. A Hollivay who is consistently scoring and blocking shots without elite rebounding numbers fits comfortably in the Marianna Tolo/Devereaux Peters wing of the WNBA centers. It should also lead to more open perimeter shots for Rutgers, vital for a roster with four players shooting at least 37.5% from three-point range.

It will be fascinating to see whether Hollivay continues this breakthrough. Interested observers include Rutgers fans, C. Vivian Stringer, and not least of all, WNBA front offices.

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