Published: December 12, 2000
Section: SPORTS
Page#: 02C
Holman is latest MCTC success
By Michael Rand; Staff Writer   

Two years ago, the comparison would have been absurd.

Back then, Jerry Holman was a skinny kid from St. Paul with awkward footwork and an uncertain future. Kevin Garnett already was filling out into an NBA star.

These days, the comparison is too tempting to resist. At the Minneapolis Community and Technical College gymnasium, Holman sticks out just as Garnett does among his peers a few blocks away at Target Center. His limbs, once gangly, now are better described as lithe. He always could jump, but he honed his timing to become a ferocious rebounder and shot-blocker.

Oh, and Holman even has a scraggly patch of hair on his chin. Sound like someone familiar?

"Baby KG, I always hear that," Holman said. "I'm pretty much used to it. Sometimes I even make a little joke out of it. I grew that hair to look like him. Now I'll be walking, and people downtown will be like, `That's KG, that's KG.' Then they'll look closer and be like, `Aw, that's not KG.' And I'll be like, `Ha-ha, I fooled you.' "

Coming out of Humboldt High School in St. Paul, Holman fooled just about everybody into thinking he'd never be a player. Wary of his grades and erratic play, colleges shied away from the 6-10 Holman. MCTC was the only interested school.

But during the 1998-99 season, Holman opened everyone's eyes by blocking 100 shots. After sitting out last season to concentrate on academics, he floored coaches who once ignored his potential with a dominant performance at a camp in Tulsa, Okla. This season, he already has three triple-doubles, including a 14-block performance against North Iowa Area.

Although he still needs to add strength and offensive polish, the distance Holman has come in such a short time - he was one of the hottest junior college prospects in the country when he signed with the Gophers this fall - is a testament to both the player and the program run by coach Jay Pivec.

Pivec, in his 11th season at MCTC, inherited a team that went 0-22 the year before he arrived. Since then, the Marauders have compiled a 205-65 record, including an 8-0 start this season heading into tonight's home game against Fergus Falls Community College, a matchup of undefeated teams.

During that time, 34 MCTC players have gone on to play at four-year schools - 20 at either Division I or Division II programs. As a Division III junior college, MCTC doesn't have scholarship athletes, making player development crucial.

"There's a reward to what we do here," Pivec said. "The kind of development you see in a kid like Jerry, the opportunity to see the transformation. It's about the ability to bring some kids in that are good players - maybe they have not had the exposure, maybe they are yearning to continue and weren't given a chance - and working with them."

Many players, such as Holman, come from Minneapolis, St. Paul or one of the Twin Cities' first-ring suburbs. They come to MCTC knowing it won't be easy to juggle classes, work, basketball and, in some cases, a family.

But they also have history and a friendly environment on their side. Many players know Pivec long before enrolling at MCTC because of his frequent appearances at city league games. The coach often is the strongest link between players who vary in many ways.

"[Shooting guard] James Scheeler, he's like 28 or 29. I call him Chris Weinke, he's so old," said point guard Dwayne Starr, a Richfield High graduate. "You take a bus ride and one guy is like 17, another one is 26. One's reading a romance novel, one's listening to the Backstreet Boys. It's a lot of fun to be around different people."

Winning also helps. The school has been either the Minnesota Community College Conference overall champion or Southern Division champion in six of the past 10 years. The Marauders are ranked No. 3 in the country this season. Scheeler was the MCCC player of the year last season, while Louisiana transplant Ken Pates is scoring in double figures.

Pivec, who was an assistant with the Gophers and a head coach at Montana State-Northern and Jamestown (N.D.) College before coming to MCTC, could eventually parlay his success into another job at a four-year school.

He's well-respected among his coaching peers.

"It's like `The Cat in the Hat.' Would I? Could I? Sure," Pivec said. "This is a great gig. We do more with less here. There will be some opportunities down the road, but until that happens, we're going to continue to work at our trade here."

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Michael Rand can be contacted at mrand@startribune.com

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