TULSA, Okla. – As he sat at the podium in the BOK Center’s media room after the Terriers’ 72-53 loss to Kansas, senior forward John Holland was asked what his emotions were following the whole NCAA tournament experience and his last game in a Boston University uniform.
Holland answered the first part of the question by saying it was an experience he would never forget. Then he paused.
“I’m OK,” he said a moment later. “We played as hard as we could. We left it all out on the floor. So I’m OK.”
Next to Holland, BU coach Patrick Chambers let a brief smile come over his face before looking down. After Holland left the stage and returned to the locker room, Chambers explained his reaction.
“Senior, you know, that was your last game. Human nature might say differently,” Chambers said in reference to Holland’s assurance that he was alright. “Human nature might say he’s sad. That was it. That’s the last time he’s going to put that red and white jersey on that says Boston. He’s played the most minutes in the history of the program. He’s done a lot for this program, so you can only imagine. I’m sure he’s feeling pretty down.”
Although Chambers was probably right about Holland, the only senior Terrier, feeling at least a little bit down, the second-leading scorer in BU history had every reason to be OK too. The Terriers matched the top-seeded Jayhawks bucket-for-bucket in the first half and didn’t appear overmatched at all.
The biggest reason for that? Holland. The Bronx, N.Y., native picked up where he left off in the America East championship game, scoring 15 points in the first half and looking like the best player on the floor.
That’s not unusual to see in America East games — Holland was named the conference’s Player of the Year this season and has been a First-Team All-Star for each of the past three years. But in an NCAA game against the Kansas Jayhawks? Against a team that features Big 12 Player of the Year Marcus Morris and his twin brother Markieff? For at least a half, the answer was yes.
That may have come as a surprise to some casual fans who didn’t know much about BU or Holland, but it didn’t come as a surprise to anyone on Kansas. All week, the Jayhawks marked Holland as someone to game plan for, and they recognized how good he was.
Kansas guard Brady Morningstar, one of several players who matched up against Holland, called Holland “one of the most efficient players in the country” and said he “can do it all.” Jayhawks coach Bill Self said Holland “would be a terrific player in our league, without question.”
Despite the preparation and awareness, Kansas struggled to handle Holland in the first half. He was able to get open away from the ball, create shots when he had the ball and even make a couple shots with defenders right on top of him.
“The first half, he played a heck of a half,” Morningstar said. “He was hitting tough shots. In the second half, it was the combination of better defense and he wasn’t hitting those tough shots.”
Holland, who netted just four points in the second half, said he noticed the difference in the Kansas defense and acknowledged that they might have worn him down as the game went on.
“I don’t know. I may have gotten a little tired,” he said. “Maybe forced a couple of shots. But they’re really a great team. What can I say? It was a tough game. It was a tough game.”
Chambers pulled Holland out of the game with about a minute to go and gave him a hug as the senior walked off the court for the last time.
“Just said thank you,” Chambers said. “You know, I loved him very much and thank you. Thanks for taking us on this incredible, incredible journey.”
Chambers also reflected on Holland’s career, which will undoubtedly go down as one of the two or three best in BU basketball history.
“He left a legacy that he’s going to be remembered forever, what he did for this program over the last four years,” Chambers said. “It wasn’t just points, it wasn’t all the rebounds, you know. He carried us. He carried us. We had a young group with a lot of newcomers.
“And when you ask a guy to get 20 points and be a leader in the locker room, and come in with a business-like approach in film and walk-through, he did that. He did that. I’m really proud of him. It’s going to be really tough to -a kid like that is going to be really tough to replace because it’s more than just points. It’s more than just basketball. It’s his all-around character.”
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