Personal information | |
---|---|
Born | Whitehouse, Texas, U.S. | August 17, 1991
Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
Listed weight | 225 lb (102 kg) |
Career information | |
High school | Whitehouse (Whitehouse, Texas) |
College | North Texas (2009–2013) |
NBA draft | 2013: undrafted |
Playing career | 2015–2018 |
Position | Power forward |
Career history | |
2015–2017 | Goldfields Giants |
2016 | Balkan Botevgrad |
2018 | Perry Lakes Hawks |
Career highlights and awards | |
|
Jacob Ervin Holmen (born August 17, 1991) is an American former professional basketball player. He played four years of college basketball for North Texas, but his time on the court was restricted due to injuries, including his senior year where he sat out the entire second half of the season after sustaining a third concussion in just over a year. Upon turning pro, he played in Australia and Bulgaria, making a name for himself in the State Basketball League (SBL). He was named the SBL MVP in 2017 and won an SBL championship in 2018, but two knee injuries in less than a year saw his playing career come to an end.
Holmen was born in Whitehouse, Texas. [1] He attended Whitehouse High School and played for the school's basketball team. As a sophomore, he was named the 11-4A Newcomer of the Year. [2] As a junior, he was the District 11-4A Defensive Player of the Year and a First-Team All-East Texas selection by the Tyler Morning Telegraph . [2] He averaged 17 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks per game in leading Whitehouse to the 2008 Regional semifinals. [2] [3]
On November 19, 2008, Holmen signed a National Letter of Intent to play college basketball for the University of North Texas. [2]
As a senior in 2008–09, Holmen averaged 20 points and 11.5 rebounds per game in earning All-East Texas MVP honors. [4]
A versatile athlete, Holmen also lettered in football and track at Whitehouse. [2] Specializing as a sprinter, Holmen took first place in District 14-4A in both the 400-meter dash and the 4x400-meter relay, and won his heat in the 400 at the Region II 4A Track Championships. [4]
As a freshman at North Texas in 2009–10, Holmen played a career-high 31 games with eight starts, and averaged 4.8 points and 2.4 rebounds in 13.5 minutes per game. [4] [5] On December 28, he hit a 15-foot jumper with three seconds remaining to lift North Texas to a 71–69 victory over Texas Southern. [6] [7] He was a member of NT's Sun Belt tournament championship, which saw them move onto the 2010 NCAA tournament where they lost in the first round of the West Regional finals. [8] Holmen saw six minutes in the NCAA tournament game against Kansas State. [4]
As a sophomore in 2010–11, Holmen missed the final seven games of the season after suffering a broken hand in a loss to Louisiana-Monroe on February 19. [4] [9] In 26 games, he averaged 5.8 points and 3.0 rebounds in 14.7 minutes per game off the bench. [5] He had gradually ascended late in the season, having scored in double figures in three of his final six games and posted a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds in a loss to Louisiana-Lafayette on January 27. [9]
As a junior in 2011–12, Holmen played 22 games and made a career-high 14 starts. He subsequently averaged a career-high 7.0 points with 3.3 rebounds in 20.8 minutes per game. [5] He suffered two concussions during the season and missed 10 games. [10] On February 11, he scored a then career-high 20 points in an 86–81 double-overtime win over Florida Atlantic. He was held scoreless in the first half, but scored 12 of NT's 16 points to open the second half. [11] In the semifinal of the 2012 Sun Belt tournament, he scored a career-high 21 points in a 76–72 win over Arkansas State. [4] In the final, he scored 11 points in a 74–70 loss to Western Kentucky. [12] He was subsequently named in the Sun Belt All-Tournament Team. [4]
As a senior in 2012–13, Holmen appeared in just 15 games, [4] with his final college appearance coming on January 12, 2013, against South Alabama. [13] He was ruled out for the rest of the season after sustaining a third concussion in just over a year. [13] [14] He had seven starts in his final season and averaged 5.6 points and a career-high 3.5 rebounds in 15.7 minutes per game. [5]
Deprived of turning pro upon graduating from North Texas, Holmen began a youth coaching career. [15]
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2009–10 | North Texas | 31 | 8 | 13.5 | .415 | .130 | .806 | 2.4 | .4 | .3 | .2 | 4.8 |
2010–11 | North Texas | 26 | 0 | 14.7 | .433 | .353 | .750 | 3.0 | .5 | .2 | .1 | 5.8 |
2011–12 | North Texas | 22 | 14 | 20.8 | .391 | .333 | .786 | 3.3 | 1.0 | .3 | .1 | 7.0 |
2012–13 | North Texas | 15 | 7 | 15.7 | .381 | .323 | .769 | 3.5 | .3 | .3 | .3 | 5.6 |
Career | 94 | 29 | 15.9 | .407 | .299 | .780 | 2.9 | .5 | .2 | .2 | 5.7 |
On December 22, 2014, Holmen signed a professional contract in Australia with the Goldfields Giants of the State Basketball League (SBL) for the 2015 season. [1] [16] He joined the Giants vowing to bring a winning attitude to the struggling club. [17] [18] In his professional debut, he had 22 points and six rebounds in a 114–76 loss to the Willetton Tigers. [19] After the Giants started the season 0–8, Holmen helped them get their first win with 43 points and 15 rebounds against the East Perth Eagles. [20] The Giants won 14 of their final 18 games to finish the regular season in seventh place with a 14–12 record. [21] They went on to defeat the second-seeded Geraldton Buccaneers 2–0 in the quarter-finals, [22] with Holmen scoring 29 points in game one and 14 points in game two. [23] In game one of the semifinals, Holmen had 35 points, 15 rebounds and six assists in a 116–111 overtime loss to the South West Slammers. [24] The Giants went on to lose game two 100–95 despite Holmen's 26 points. [25] He appeared in all 30 games for the Giants, averaging 24.3 points, 10.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. [23]
During the off-season, Holmen returned to Texas and drew the attention of the NBA D-League after a successful tryout in Houston which saw him eligible to be drafted in the 2015 draft. [26] [27] He ultimately went undrafted and thus turned his attention back to Australia. [26]
On December 15, 2015, Holmen re-signed with the Giants for the 2016 State Basketball League season. [26] He was named team captain for 2016 [28] and was considered a league MVP candidate mid-season. [29] In round two, he had 37 points and 19 rebounds in the first outing and 38 points and 21 rebounds in the second. [30] [31] In round four, he had 32 points and 18 rebounds in the first outing and 39 points and 16 rebounds in the second. [32] [33] In round 12, he had a 36-point effort. [34] In the Giants' season finale, Holmen recorded a season-high 46 points with 19 rebounds in a 129–123 loss to the Slammers. [35] The Giants missed the finals in 2016 with a 7–19 record and a 12th-place finish. [36] Holmen appeared in all 26 games and averaged 25.3 points, 12.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists. [37] He subsequently finished top 10 in the SBL MVP voting. [38]
Following the conclusion of the SBL season, Holmen moved to Bulgaria to play for Balkan Botevgrad of the National Basketball League. [39] [40] In September 2016, he helped the team win the Botevgrad Cup, scoring 22 points in the final against Serbian team Dynamic. [41] He appeared in the first three games of the 2016–17 season, [42] with Balkan losing all three contests. [43] In his third and final game, he recorded 21 points with five 3-pointers and eight rebounds. [42] [44] He left the team in early November, reportedly unexpectedly without telling anyone at the club. [45]
On December 24, 2016, Holmen re-signed with the Giants for the 2017 State Basketball League season. [38] He continued on as captain of the Giants in 2017, [46] but a hamstring injury suffered on the eve of the season saw him miss the first three games. [47] In his season debut, he scored a season-high 37 points. [48] He had a 36-point game in early May, and two 35-point games in early June. [49] In the Giants' season finale, Holmen scored 34 points in an 88–79 win over the Rockingham Flames. [50] [51] The Giants missed the finals in 2017 with an 8–18 record and a 12th-place finish. [52] To conclude his third season, Holmen was named the SBL's Most Valuable Player, becoming the Giants' first ever SBL MVP in their 28 seasons in the league. [53] Despite the three games he missed at the start of the year, he polled 130 votes to finish three votes ahead of second. [53] In 23 games, he averaged 25.4 points, 9.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. [49]
In November 2017, Holmen was on the verge of signing with the Hobart Chargers of the South East Australian Basketball League until he ruptured his ACL. [54]
In April 2018, Holmen returned to the SBL and joined the Perry Lakes Hawks. [55] In his debut for the Hawks, he scored 14 points. [56] In his fifth game for the Hawks, he had 28 points and 23 rebounds. [56] He scored 30 points or more three times during the 2018 season, including a season-high 38 points. [56] The Hawks started the season with a 6–8 record, before going on a 12-game winning streak to finish in fourth place at 18–8. [57] In the quarter-finals, Holmen helped the Hawks defeat the Lakeside Lightning 2–1 with a 33-point effort in game three. [58] In game one of the semi-finals against the Rockingham Flames on August 18, Holmen suffered a season-ending knee injury in the first quarter as the Hawks lost 92–73. [59] It was later announced that Holmen would require a knee reconstruction after again rupturing his ACL and suffering a torn meniscus. [60] Despite losing Holmen, the Hawks went on to defeat the Flames in three games to reach the SBL Grand Final. [61] [62] In the grand final, the Hawks defeated the Joondalup Wolves 94–87 to win Holmen his first SBL championship. [63] In 24 games for the Hawks in 2018, he averaged 17.8 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. [56]
Holmen got married in October 2017. [46]
In September 2018, Holmen returned to Texas and became a coach at Coram Deo Academy. [64] He was still in the role as of February 2023. [65]
Goldfields Giants is an NBL1 West club based in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. The club fields a team in both the Men's and Women's NBL1 West. The team is affiliated with Kalgoorlie-Boulder Basketball Association (KBBA), the major administrative basketball organisation in the region. The Giants play their home games at Niels Hansen Basketball Stadium.
Greg Hire is an Australian former professional basketball player. He played four years of college basketball in the United States before joining the Perth Wildcats of the National Basketball League (NBL) in 2010 as a development player. In 2011, he was elevated to the full-time roster and in 2014 he won his first NBL championship. He went on to win three more championships in 2016, 2017 and 2019. In the NBL1 West, he won a championship with the Wanneroo Wolves in 2011 and again with the Rockingham Flames in 2022.
Cody Gordon Ellis is an Australian basketball player for the Warwick Senators of the NBL1 West. After four years of college basketball for the Saint Louis Billikens, Ellis had a five-year stint in the National Basketball League (NBL) with the Sydney Kings and Illawarra Hawks.
Ben Purser is an Australian former basketball player. He played 16 years for the Perry Lakes Hawks of the NBL1 West, debuting in 2008 and playing every year until retiring in 2023. As team captain, he led the Hawks to two championships, the first in 2018 in the State Basketball League (SBL) with grand final MVP honours and the second in 2021 in the inaugural NBL1 West season. He was named to the All-SBL First Team in 2018 and the SBL All-Defensive Five every year between 2016 and 2019. He was also the league's Most Improved Player in 2009.
Natalie Burton is an Australian basketball player and coach. She played college basketball in the United States for the West Virginia Mountaineers before beginning her career in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) in 2012. She played seven seasons in the WNBL and played in Germany and France in 2018 and 2019. In the NBL1 West, Burton has played for the Perry Lakes Hawks and Warwick Senators. She is a four-time NBL1 West champion, three with the Hawks and one with the Senators (2022). She helped the Senators win the NBL1 National championship in 2022 as well. She served as an assistant coach with the Perth Lynx in the WNBL between 2021 and 2024.
Mathiang Mauot Muo is an Australian-South Sudanese professional basketball player for the South West Slammers of the NBL1 West. He played four seasons of college basketball in the United States between 2009 and 2013 before joining the Perth Wildcats of the National Basketball League (NBL). He was a member of the Wildcats' 2014 championship-winning team but managed just 15 games over two seasons due to injury. Since parting ways with the Wildcats, Muo has had a successful state league career, playing in the SBL, SEABL, NBL1 and Queensland State League (QSL). He won an SBL championship with the East Perth Eagles in 2014 and a SEABL championship with the Hobart Chargers in 2018.
Thomas Lachlan Jervis is an Australian professional basketball player who last played for the Rockingham Flames of the NBL1 West. He played college basketball for Bevill State Community College and Troy University in the United States before debuting in the National Basketball League (NBL). He won two NBL championships with the Perth Wildcats between 2013 and 2016. After two seasons with the Brisbane Bullets, Jervis returned to the Wildcats in 2018 and won his third championship. He retired from basketball in 2019 but made a comeback in January 2021 to re-join the Wildcats. Jervis is also well known for his time spent in the State Basketball League (SBL) with the East Perth Eagles, having played for them every year between 2009 and 2016, helping them win their maiden championship in 2014.
Jarrad Prue is an Australian former basketball player. He played 15 seasons with the Lakeside Lightning of the NBL1 West between 2003 and 2021 and won three championships. He is the NBL1 West's all-time leading rebounder.
Julius "Jay" Bowie is an American professional basketball player who last played for Bali United of the Indonesian Basketball League (IBL). He played college basketball for Marist College before playing professionally in the NBA Development League, Australia and England.
Lakeside Lightning is an NBL1 West club based in Perth, Western Australia. The club fields a team in both the Men's and Women's NBL1 West. The club is owned and managed by Lakeside Baptist Church. The Lightning play their home games at Lakeside Recreation Centre.
Anthony Lee-Ingram is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for Danville Area Community College and Brescia University before playing professionally in Australia, Norway, Cyprus, Macedonia, Romania and Germany.
Bradley Robbins is an Australian basketball coach and former player who is most known for his time spent in the National Basketball League (NBL) with the Perth Wildcats. He currently serves as the head coach of the Warwick Senators women's team in the NBL1 West.
Brian Andrew Carlwell is an American basketball coach and former player. He played college basketball for Illinois and San Diego State before playing professionally in Australia, Argentina and Japan. Best known for his time spent in Australia, Carlwell is a two-time SBL champion, having won his first in 2012 with the Cockburn Cougars and his second in 2018 with the Perry Lakes Hawks.
Michael James Vigor is a Scottish-born Australian professional basketball player for the Willetton Tigers of the NBL1 West. He made his debut in the State Basketball League (SBL) for the Perth Redbacks in 2008 and in 2011 joined the Perth Wildcats of the National Basketball League (NBL) as a development player. He won an NBL championship with the Wildcats in 2014 and an SBL championship with the Redbacks in 2017. He played in Europe between 2015 and 2020, and in 2018 he represented Scotland at the Commonwealth Games.
Rhys Anthony Vague is an Australian professional basketball player for Tokyo United of the B.League. He made his debut for his hometown Perth Wildcats in the National Basketball League (NBL) as a development player in 2014. After four seasons as a development player, he was elevated to a fully contracted player in 2018. In his six seasons with the Wildcats, he was a part of four championship teams in 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2020. Vague also made a name for himself in the State Basketball League (SBL), playing for the Cockburn Cougars, East Perth Eagles and Stirling Senators, earning the State Basketball League Most Improved Player Award in 2015. Between 2020 and 2023, he played in Japan for the Kagawa Five Arrows.
Mitchell Clarke is an Australian professional basketball player for the Reading Rockets of the English National Basketball League. He played five seasons with the Perry Lakes Hawks in the NBL1 West before joining the Perth Wildcats of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL) in 2021, where he spent two seasons with their extended squad. He played for the Bendigo Braves of the NBL1 South in 2022 before returning to the Hawks in 2023. After a season with the Reading Rockets of the English NBL, he re-joined Bendigo in 2024.
Marshall Lance Nelson is an Australian-Belgian professional basketball player for PSA Sant'Antimo of the Italian Serie B Basket. Debuting in the State Basketball League (SBL) in 2014 for the Perth Redbacks, Nelson went on to play three seasons of college basketball in the United States and has played in Sweden and Iceland. He has had two stints in the National Basketball League (NBL), first with the Illawarra Hawks as a development player between 2017 and 2019 and then with the Cairns Taipans as an injury replacement during the 2021–22 season. He played his sixth season with the Redbacks in 2021 and helped them win the SBL championship in 2017. In 2022, he helped the Rockingham Flames win the NBL1 West championship and NBL1 National championship.
Jalen Christopher Billups is an American former professional basketball player. He played five years of college basketball for Northern Kentucky before starting his professional career in Australia with the Cockburn Cougars of the State Basketball League (SBL) in 2017. After a short stint in Scotland with the Glasgow Rocks, he returned to the SBL in 2018 and won the league's MVP with the Joondalup Wolves. He joined the Southern Huskies in 2019 for their inaugural season in the New Zealand NBL and then moved to Japan in 2021 to play for the Toyoda Gosei Scorpions of the Japanese B.League.
Samantha Issabelle Roscoe is an Australian-British former professional basketball player. She played college basketball in the United States for the North Dakota Fighting Hawks between 2013 and 2017 before splitting her time between Australia and Europe following college. She won an SBL championship with the Lakeside Lightning in 2018 and a championship in Bosnia in 2022.
Daniel Alexander is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Perry Lakes Hawks of the NBL1 West. He played college basketball for Texas A&M and Grand Canyon before splitting his first three years as a professional in Australia and the NBA G League. He won a SEABL championship with the Mount Gambier Pioneers in 2017 and an NBA G League championship with the Austin Spurs in 2018.
Both Coram Deo teams are coached by former Whitehouse High School and University of North Texas standout Jacob Holmen.