A couple of weeks ago Joyner Holmes made news with her verbal commitment to the Texas Longhorns.  Recently, She’s Ballin was able to catch up with the super senior to discuss her commitment, the recruiting process, future goals, as well as to get some advice for all of the young ballers just starting out.  Our conversation follows.

(SB) First of all, congrats on your commitment to the University of Texas.  Of all the schools that were able to pursue you in the recruiting process, what set the Longhorns apart?

(JH) UTWBB has been recruiting me for the longest period of time and established a really good relationship. Knowing the staff extensively and having played with some of the current and future players gave me a comfort level with expectations. The staff addition of Tina Thompson also enhanced the selection because of her knowledge of the game at all levels and what she could teach me.

(SB) How old were you when you decided to seriously pursue basketball, and was there something or someone that lit that fire in you? 

(JH) I was probably around 9 or 10 years old and having played in some local rec leagues my father saw a little promise in me.  My family aligned me with some different coaches and teams but the light clicked for me when I started skills training with Angela Weathers and coach Marquis Alexander. Angela had played collegiately and professional and was a no nonsense person. Coach Marquis was just intense when he needed to be but believed in getting the best out of you.

(SB) When did colleges begin to take notice and how did that impact you in the process of your development?

(JH) Colleges starting taking notice after 8th grade AAU nationals. I remember coming back from Orlando and Coach Marquis telling me of comments of interest and that coaches were watching.  Letters and/or discussions with my parents started in 9th grade. Obviously most of the interest came from Big 12 schools due to distance to home.

(SB) Where do you see your game going over the next 5 years?  Did UT show you a blueprint of the direction they wanted to see your game go in the recruiting process?

(JH) I hope to see improvements in my game with a more efficient jump shot, power rebounding, and court awareness/IQ.  I hope with the day to day interactions of two greats (Tina Thompson and Travis Mays), I may become a hybrid of them.  This summer I heard people making reference of me as LeBron James.  I would hope in 5 years I could mimic some of his game (LOL) or a game similar to Candice Parker.

(SB) What are your goals going forward in the game?

(JH) I hope to one day represent on the USA National Women's teams and will continue to participate with USA Basketball in any capacity or level.  WNBA or Over Sea experiences, we’ll have to wait and see.

(SB) Lastly, having successfully become one of the most well rounded players in recent memory, what advice do you have for young players that are just starting out on their journey? 

(JH) Young players starting this journey I would advise:

Practice your craft at the speed of the game.  It took me a while to learn that.  When you practice at game speed you are probably not going to be lazy, pay more attention to detail, and your conditioning will be better for game situations. 

Get a GOOD skills trainer. Go to different skills trainers to evaluate differences. Find trainers who work on all aspects of the game.  Some trainers focus more on ball handling and less on defensive skills.  You need both!!!!

Find a team that is the right fit not the most popular.  I played on a very good independent team for years and coaches found me. If you are good player, work hard, show you can be a good teammate, and keep your grades up..... they will come, I promise!