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Texas women's basketball guard Shay Holle might have as many as four more games left in her college career, but none of them will come in Austin. Monday's 65-48 win over Illinois was her final game at Moody Center, as the top-seeded Longhorns advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
As Holle prepared to sub out in the waning seconds of the game, the gravitas of the moment hadn't sunk in for her. But it had for head coach Vic Schaefer, who pulled his guard aside to talk, praising her journey and glowing with pride over the strides she's made since her days as a walk-on.
"It doesn't matter in what capacity, she's just a winner," Schaefer said afterward. "The attitude, the work ethic, every day, no bad days, no frowns, just everything. You'll miss that when you're a coach, you miss those kids that come in every day and are like that."
More: March Madness: Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda leads Texas into Sweet 16 showdown with Tennessee
Properly quantifying Holle's impact on Texas is difficult despite her being the program's all-time winningest player. She's the kind of culture setter who holds a locker room together off the court and perfectly performs her role on it, even if it means sacrificing personal statistics. Against Illinois, Hole was a team-high +19 in plus/minus despite recording only six points, three rebounds, one steal and one assist.
She never stood out as a star, but Holle has done everything properly since stepping foot on campus. It's a quality UT forward Aaliyah Moore has appreciated even since their EYBL days when Moore rocked high school braids and Holle a side part.
"You could even say she's one of the reasons, a small part of the reason why I wanted to come here," Moore said. "I wanted to play with someone like Shay ... I'm just really proud that I was able to see her growth."
So, how does Texas replace Holle once the season ends and her college eligibility evaporates?
If you're Schaefer, you try your best to make sure she doesn't leave in the first place.
"I'm trying to hire her," Schaefer said. "I need that on my staff, but that might be the best recruiting job I could ever do if I ever get her. You know I'm always trying to hire people smarter than me."
More: Why Shay Holle, UT women's basketball's all-time leader in games played, is a dying breed
Holle laughed, appreciative of the offer but not having thought much about diving into the possibility of coaching basketball. She's lived in Austin for her entire life and spoke about leaving her comfort zone after graduation to foster personal growth.
Besides, she's confident in the next wave of Longhorns that will lead the team to the future. Holle specifically mentioned freshman guard Jordan Lee, another player whose contributions lack tangibility but are integral to Texas' makeup.
"She comes in every single day, works hard, has a smile on her face and brings good vibes, which everyone appreciates. So I think she'll she'll fill that role, nicely — she's already doing it with me," Holle said.
Holle has time left with her team, and she can maximize it by leading Texas to a national championship. But even if the senior does leave after graduation, she wouldn't mind returning to Austin eventually.
Who knows? Perhaps she'll take Schaefer up on his offer.
"Maybe we'll circle back when that time comes," she said.
See more of Caleb Yum's work here and follow him on X. Your subscription makes work like this possible. Get access to all of our best content with this tremendous offer
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas basketball: Shay Holle leads culture through NCAA Tournament
Continue reading...
As Holle prepared to sub out in the waning seconds of the game, the gravitas of the moment hadn't sunk in for her. But it had for head coach Vic Schaefer, who pulled his guard aside to talk, praising her journey and glowing with pride over the strides she's made since her days as a walk-on.
"It doesn't matter in what capacity, she's just a winner," Schaefer said afterward. "The attitude, the work ethic, every day, no bad days, no frowns, just everything. You'll miss that when you're a coach, you miss those kids that come in every day and are like that."
More: March Madness: Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda leads Texas into Sweet 16 showdown with Tennessee
Properly quantifying Holle's impact on Texas is difficult despite her being the program's all-time winningest player. She's the kind of culture setter who holds a locker room together off the court and perfectly performs her role on it, even if it means sacrificing personal statistics. Against Illinois, Hole was a team-high +19 in plus/minus despite recording only six points, three rebounds, one steal and one assist.
She never stood out as a star, but Holle has done everything properly since stepping foot on campus. It's a quality UT forward Aaliyah Moore has appreciated even since their EYBL days when Moore rocked high school braids and Holle a side part.
"You could even say she's one of the reasons, a small part of the reason why I wanted to come here," Moore said. "I wanted to play with someone like Shay ... I'm just really proud that I was able to see her growth."
How will Texas basketball replace Shay Holle?
So, how does Texas replace Holle once the season ends and her college eligibility evaporates?
If you're Schaefer, you try your best to make sure she doesn't leave in the first place.
"I'm trying to hire her," Schaefer said. "I need that on my staff, but that might be the best recruiting job I could ever do if I ever get her. You know I'm always trying to hire people smarter than me."
More: Why Shay Holle, UT women's basketball's all-time leader in games played, is a dying breed
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Holle laughed, appreciative of the offer but not having thought much about diving into the possibility of coaching basketball. She's lived in Austin for her entire life and spoke about leaving her comfort zone after graduation to foster personal growth.
Besides, she's confident in the next wave of Longhorns that will lead the team to the future. Holle specifically mentioned freshman guard Jordan Lee, another player whose contributions lack tangibility but are integral to Texas' makeup.
"She comes in every single day, works hard, has a smile on her face and brings good vibes, which everyone appreciates. So I think she'll she'll fill that role, nicely — she's already doing it with me," Holle said.
Holle has time left with her team, and she can maximize it by leading Texas to a national championship. But even if the senior does leave after graduation, she wouldn't mind returning to Austin eventually.
Who knows? Perhaps she'll take Schaefer up on his offer.
"Maybe we'll circle back when that time comes," she said.
See more of Caleb Yum's work here and follow him on X. Your subscription makes work like this possible. Get access to all of our best content with this tremendous offer
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas basketball: Shay Holle leads culture through NCAA Tournament
Continue reading...
