In turn, Holmes, quietly, almost shyly, responded how he appreciated not only the sentiment, but the opportunity the University of Dayton has given him.
That moment between the two Big Men on Campus — private, sincere, unscripted — encapsulated all you need to know about the relationship between the school and its highest profile student and athlete.
Tuesday, Holmes was named the Co-Player of the Year in the Atlantic 10 Conference this season and the A-10′s Defensive Player of the Year. He led the league in scoring (20.2 points per game); was second in rebounding (8.3); fourth in blocked shots; and fifth in field goal percentage.
Also Tuesday, he was named a second-team All American by The Sporting News. Earlier ESPN had named him a third-team All American.
He’s one of 20 finalists for the Naismith Award and one of 15 in the running for the Wooden Award, both of which recognize the nation’s top college player. He’s one the five finalists for the Karl Malone Award, which goes to the game’s top power forward.
Leading the 24-6, No. 24 ranked Flyers into Thursday night’s A-10 Tournament quarterfinal game at the Barclays Center, Holmes — known around the program as Deuce — has 1,680 career points, 11th on the all-time list of UD scorers. He’s No. 1 in blocked shots with 211.
Over the years there have been some other Flyer standouts who have drawn national attention to the program.
“You’ve got to start with Bill Uhl, he was our All American,” said Bucky Bockhorn, the former UD star, who followed an NBA career with a half-century as the insightful and beloved broadcaster of Flyers games.
Bockhorn mentioned other players, like Hank Finkel — “the best center we’ve ever had” — and Donnie May, another All American who carried the Flyers to the national title game in 1967.
He gave special praise to Jim Paxson Jr., another All American, who was a first-round pick in the NBA and had a long career as a pro., He mentioned Roosevelt Chapman, UD’s all-time leading scorer and the 41-point outburst he had in a victory over Oklahoma in 1984 NCAA Tournament.
“Although he didn’t get the national exposure some of the others did, Donald Smith was the most exciting player I ever saw play at UD,” Bockhorn said. “He could have shot it at any time he wanted.”
And he had special praise for the Flyers’ latest two All American: Obi Toppin and Holmes.
Credit: David Jablonski
Credit: David Jablonski
Like Bockhorn, when Spina speaks of Holmes, Toppin’s name often enters the conversation.
Toppin is remembered not just because he was the National Player of the Year from that wondrous 29-2 team five seasons ago, a first-round NBA pick and current Indiana Pacer, but for the way he embraced the game, his teammates and the fans.
He enjoyed himself on the court and made sure to take everybody else along on the high-flyin’ ride.
Now Holmes is doing the same.
Deuce a great ambassador for UD
“When I travel across the country to visit alums and supporters of the university, the conversation often turns to basketball and when it does it often turns to Deuce in terms of: he’s good; he’s gotten better each year; and he seems coachable,” said Spina.
“So many athletes these days seem to know it all and think they don’t need their coach. But his relationship with Anthony (Grant), when you see it up close, you see he listens. He listens to Anthony and assistant coaches, and he has gotten better every year as a result. Our alums across the country see that and are proud of that.
“Can I say — because of Deuce — some have given to the business school or the engineering school or the campus ministry? No, I can’t make that connection.
“But does it make people feel really positive about UD and our athletic program that the highest profile member of the athletic program is someone who they are really proud of, rather than someone they read about in a police report; or hear how they don’t want to play with someone because they’re feuding with them?
“Yes, and that level of pride absolutely, positively supports UD with donations and with us getting not only the next generation of student athletes, but the next generation of students.”
In fact, it was that same storyline with Toppin that got Holmes to UD.
Coming out of Goodyear, Arizona, Holmes was recruited by all the top national programs. Thanks to the guidance of his parents, DaRon Sr. and Tomika, he chose UD because of the way Toppin — a raw talent out of New York — had developed under Grant and how the school and the community and especially the sellout crowds at UD Arena, had adopted him.
Toppin loved his experience here — it’s why he still comes back and does local youth camps and attends occasional Flyers games — and DaRon Sr. said they wanted the same experience for their son.
Tuesday, when he talked about his A-10 awards and the upcoming A-10 and NCAA Tournaments — while not disputing that he’d likely played his last game at UD Arena and would head to the NBA next season — Holmes said his intent here had been to try to “work hard” and “get better each day.”
This season he said that had especially meant developing “from the neck up” and “understanding” what his team needed from him to win. He said he learned how to be a more vocal leader.
“I’ve been really proud of him for three years,” Grant said. “He’s been a great ambassador for our program, for the university and really the A-10 — just in how he carried himself and the way he put our program and the A-10 on a stage where it was recognized nationally.”
‘A wonderful young man’
“Deuce is just a wonderful young man, much like Obi,” Spina said. “I don’t think he’s ever said ‘No” to a fan, a picture, a conversation, anything.
“He’s now in the NIL (Name Image Likeness) era and Obi wasn’t, but look at the way Deuce has handed that and how he’s out in the community, especially in that program with Dayton Public Schools to avoid absenteeism.
“He does that with relish. Sure, he’s getting some NIL money for it, but he understands the impact he has. I know for a fact he cherishes that.
“It’s not about, ‘Look at me! Big Deuce! I’m Big DaRon Holmes!’
“It’s like: ‘These are young kids much like I was a few years ago. My education meant a lot to me and if I can get kids to stay in school using my voice, my image, their education can mean something to them, too.’
“On a local level that kind of involvement by our highest profile athlete just has a lot of impact.
“He really models the values of this university. He’s what a Catholic Marianist University wants its student athletes to be seen as.”
Spina mentioned the Marinist motto of head, heart and hands to balance our lives and become more human.
“This kid is all head, heart and hands,” he said.
“His hands are the way he plies his basketball trade.
“His heart is the way he cares for people.
“And his head — he’s a good student, a serious student. And he’s thoughtful around others.
“He truly models what we all want to be in a very visible way. Like Obi, he brings real joy to the court.
“Today I just happened to see an image from a year ago at the end of the Fordham game when (Toumani) Camara was going in for a dunk. Malachi (Smith) was jumping and Deuce was waving to the crowd.”
Holmes did the same at the end of Dayton’s last home game — a 91-86 overtime victory against rival VCU that capped off a perfect 15-0 record at UD Arena this season — and then went over to the students in the Red Scare section to celebrate with them before heading to the tunnel and first stopping to sign autographs for a multitude of clamoring little kids.
“As the president here — and I’ve told this to DaRon directly — I’m so proud of him and the way he conducts himself and has represented the university,” Spina said.
“The president of any university couldn’t ask for more from their highest profile athlete.”
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