Eli Holman following McCallum to Detroit

  • 05/07/2008 4:59 pm in

Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press is reporting that our old friend Eli Holman is heading to Detroit to play for former Indiana assistant coach Ray McCallum:

Eli Holman confirmed his enrollment at UDM in a text message Tuesday to his high school coach, Robert Collins. “He’s an NBA player,” said Collins, the former coach at Richmond, Calif. “I think he can do a lot of good there.”

Nothing against the big man from Richmond, but I really wouldn’t call him an NBA player at this point. Potentially? Perhaps. But he’s got a long way to go before the NBA would even enter the discussion. And Detroit isn’t exactly a hotbed for producing players for the next level, either. Good luck Eli, we hardly knew ye.

Update: Detroit has issued a press release with some quotes from Eli and McCallum. Holman is the second former Hoosier to land with McCallum in the past couple of weeks as Xavier Keeling will also be a Titan. Here’s a couple of quotes:

Ray McCallum: “I’m really happy that Eli made the decision to come to UDM. I think me having been at Indiana and recruiting him was a big reason why he went there and he had a great opportunity there. But when you’re involved in a young man’s life for two years, you obviously build a relationship that he cared about and respected and he wanted it to continue. With his size, he’s an athletic player who can finish around the basket, he can block shots, he rebounds, he has good hands, he’s a good runner. I think the next phase for him is to continue to grow as a player in our practices. I’m glad he’s here with us.”

Eli Holman: “I want to thank the University of Indiana for the time that I spent there. I was treated fairly by all the people connected to the University. But, at this time, I think that it is in the best interest for me and my family to transfer to the University of Detroit Mercy. I wish the University of Indiana the best of luck. Coach Mac is a big reason why I’m here. He recruited me out of high school, and he’s been like a father figure to me. I think he’ll make an impact on the University. He’s going to put some more (championship) banners up in the arena and he’s going to get us to the NCAA Tournament. I want to help him do that. I found out right away there are some great people on this campus. I’m very comfortable with my choice.”

Note to Eli (because it obviously didn’t resonate in the year he spent in Bloomington), it’s Indiana University. That is all.

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