Mr. Basketball Candidate: Jeremy Hollowell

Returning to last week's series, P-Hoops takes a look at three more potential candidates for the most coveted individual basketball award in the state. Last week, Gary Harris, Yogi Ferrell, Ronnie Johnson, and Kellen Dunham all made their cases for the title of Mr. Basketball. Today we begin with the first of the final trio, Lawrence Central's 6'8 wing Jeremy Hollowell. The Bears have one of the top small forwards in the nation in Hollowell and are looking to use his strong play to achieve a better season than they've notched in recent memory. Let's take a look at Holowell's Mr. Basketball capsule.

Player
Jeremy Hollowell

Position
6'8 Small Forward

High School
Lawrence Central Bears

College Choice
Indiana University

Junior Stats
18.9 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, 1.1 steals, 41% 3FG

Past Seasons
Sophomore - 8-13, lost in Sectionals
Junior - 15-10, lost in Sectionals

National Rankings
Rivals.com - 4 star, 48th overall
Scout.com - 4 star, 36th overall
ESPN.com - 4 star, 58th overall
247sports.com - 4 star, 78th overall

Mr. Basketball Outlook

Hollowell may be the most versatile player in the state. At 6'8, he is adept in the post, but put a big man on him, and he'll use his guard skills to take him out on the perimeter and make him look foolish. He truly doe it all on the offensive end of the floor: back to the basket game, midrange game, three point shot, and getting to the foul line. His length and athleticism also make him a great defender and rebounder. The knock on him in past seasons has been his tendency to float in and out of games in terms of effort and impact. Not the case this season. Hollowell has led LC to a 3-0 start with key wins over rival Lawrence North and IPS up-an-comer Arsenal Tech. In the three wins, Hollowell is averaging over 23 points a game, dominating on both ends of the floor in crunch time and late game situations. The Bears are also ranked number five in the 4A class thanks to his play, a ranking above anything the Bears have had in recent memory. That is also in part to Hollowell having more help this season than in years past, specifically point guard Tyler Corley and 6'7 forward Richard Freeman. A detriment to Hollowell's chances will likely be an overall lack of past regular post-season success. With an overall winning record of 23-23 his past two seasons, Hollowell and the Bears will have to make some serious noise and a deep run in the post-season to legitimize his chances at Mr. Basketball. Their undefeated start and top five ranking are a big step in that direction. Hollowell may be on the outside looking in for the award, but a great individual and team season will certainly put his name firmly in the discussion.