STERLING HOLMES OF TEXAS LUTHERAN UNIVERSITY, a senior on the men's basketball team, has been selected the SCAC Character & Community Male Student-Athlete of the Week for the period beginning December 12, 2016.
The SCAC honors the efforts of student-athletes who excel in the field of athletics, and also serve their campus and community.
Holmes, a senior kinesiology major, has excelled at TLU for three years as the team’s starting point guard. A 2016-17 D3hoops.com Preseason All-American, Holmes was the 2015-16 SCAC Player of the Year and claimed D-III News and NABC All-America honors last season. Holmes also was named to the NABC All-South Region First Team and to the D3hoops.com All-South Region First Team.
Holmes led the Bulldogs to back-to-back SCAC regular-season and tournament championships and to consecutive appearances in the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championship (first round).
“Some of the most memorable (moments) have been winning conference championships back-to-back, but in general I have had a great time at TLU,” said Holmes. “The people and the aura and environment I have been around have been great.”
“I’ve been amazed at how helpful everyone at TLU has been. Whether it is the professors, other students or the coaches, everyone really cares about you and wants you to succeed.”
The 2015-16 TLU Male Student-Athlete of the Year, Holmes guided TLU to a 21-7 overall record last year. In addition to Holmes' SCAC Player of the Year honor, he was selected as the SCAC Tournament Most Valuable Player.
In his second year at TLU, the 2015-16 academic year, Holmes and his teammates and coaches shared the Texas Lutheran Athletics Team Community Service Award in recognition of their service to the students of Patlan Elementary School in Seguin.
“We went to Patlan Elementary School and tutored the students and did a type of ‘big brother’ mentorship toward them,” said Holmes. “That has been great. I have learned a lot of lifelong lessons just being around those kids and seeing how they have loved us being on campus and being around them.”
A two-year starter, last year Holmes led TLU in scoring (16.5 ppg), rebounding (6.4 rpg), assists (4.0 apg), and steals (0.89 spg). He made .459 of his total shots and .446 of his three-point attempts. He also shot .839 from the free throw line.
Holmes was the only Bulldog to start all 28 games last year. He led the team in total minutes (820), total field goals (133), free throw makes (151) and free throw attempts (180).
Holmes led TLU to 11-3 marks in the SCAC in 2014-15 and in 2015-16.
Holmes has been bothered by injury in the 2016-17 season. He has missed four games so far this year. In the three games he has played this year, Holmes averaged 18.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per contest. He was named the SCAC Men’s Basketball Player of the Week on Nov. 21, 2016.