One of Xavier’s all-time greats finally gets his due
Clutch is one of those things that sports people argue about. Is anyone truly clutch or do they just keep producing at their normal rate if the sample size is large enough? It’s a debate that has raged back and forth (mostly in baseball). There is, however, at least one player for whom there is no question.
Tu Holloway was the beating heart of Xavier for as long as he was here. Numbers don’t really quantify what he did for the Musketeers when he was here. “Zip Em Up” remains the battle cry of the team and was initially coined by Tu. He gave the most significant press conference in program history and then refused to back away from the maelstrom.
Read that article. The breadth of Tu’s heroics is hard to cover in just one place. He has more than earned his spot in the rafters. The numbers don’t really even tell the story, either. Holloway was more a force of nature than he was simply a player. Per the program:
Holloway, who graduated in 2012, earned reputation as an elite clutch player and winner who led Xavier to four NCAA Tournament berths, including three Sweet 16 appearances. XU averaged 25 wins during his four-year career, posting a 100-38 (.725) overall mark. In addition, he was the part of three Atlantic 10 Conference Regular Season Champion teams.
Holloway left his mark on the Xavier individual record book as well and still stands seventh on XU’s all-time scoring list with 1,833 points, third in assists with 550 and first in career free-throw percentage at 85.2 percent. He recorded two triple-doubles as a junior and was one rebound shy of a third and is the only XU player on record with more than one career triple-double.
The honor roll for Holloway is impressive, including 2011 Third Team All-American honors from Associated Press, Sporting News, Basketball Times, SI.com, CBSSports.com and FOXSports.com. Holloway was the 2011 Atlantic 10 Conference Player of the Year and named to the A-10 All-Defensive Team. He was named to the 2012 A-10 First Team as a senior in addition to a second-straight year on the A-10 All-Championship Team. He was selected to the Lute Olson All-American Team (CollegeInsider.com) and the NABC (National Association of Basketball Coaches) District 4 First Team each of his final two seasons.
There has not yet been a date announce for Tu’s ceremony. There isn’t a player who has meant more to this generation of fans. This honor is well deserved and will be well attended.