{{Short description|American basketball player (born 1989)}} {{Infobox basketball biography | name = Eli Holman | image = | width = | caption = | team = Mahram Tehran | league = IBSL | number = 15 | position = Power forward / Center | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 10 | weight_lb = 260 | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1989|03|22}} | birth_place = San Francisco, California, U.S. | high_school = Richmond<br>(Richmond, California) | college = * Indiana (2007–2008) * Detroit Mercy (2009–2012) | draft_year = 2012 | career_start = 2012 | career_end = | years1 = 2012–2013 | team1 = Hapoel Eilat | years2 = 2013–2014 | team2 = Uşak Sportif | years3 = 2014–2017 | team3 = Zhejiang Lions | years4 = 2015 | team4 = Sporting Al Riyadi Beirut | years5 = 2016 | team5 = Hapoel Jerusalem | years6 = 2017–2018 | team6 = Tianjin Gold Lions | years7 = 2019 | team7 = Capitanes de Arecibo | years8 = 2019 | team8 = Anhui Oriental Dragons | years9 = 2019–2020 | team9 = Jilin Northeast Tigers | years10 = 2021 | team10 = Mahram Tehran | years11 = 2023 | team11 = Libertadores de Querétaro | years12 = 2023 | team12 = Cariduros de Fajardo | years13 = 2024 | team13 = Homenetmen Beirut | years14 = 2024–present | team14 = Mahram Tehran | highlights = * Lebanese league champion (2015) * Second-team All-Lebanese League (2015) * Horizon League Sixth Man of the Year (2012) * Second-team All-Horizon League (2011) * Horizon League All-Defensive Team (2011) * No. 32 retired by Detroit Mercy Titans }} '''Elijah Lee Holman'''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fiba.basketball/ligamericas/2019/player/Elijah-Lee-Holman|title=Elijah Holman|website=FIBA.basketball|access-date=March 22, 2020}}</ref> (born March 22, 1989)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.californiabirthindex.org/birth/elijah_lee_holman_born_1989_19235109|title=Elijah Lee Holman was born on March 22, 1989 in San Francisco County, California|website=californiabirthindex.org|publisher=California Birth Index|access-date=May 7, 2020}}</ref> is an American professional basketball player for Mahram Tehran of the Iranian Basketball Super League (IBSL). After a brief appearance in the 2012 NBA Summer League he signed with Israeli team Hapoel Eilat, where he started his professional career. He has appeared in the NBA Summer League in 2013 and 2014, but never signed for an NBA team. Holman has played in Israel, Turkey, Lebanon, Puerto Rico, China, and Iran throughout his career.
After playing at Richmond High School in California, Holman signed for the Indiana Hoosiers, and played one year of college basketball before transferring to Detroit Mercy for his sophomore year. After his senior season at Detroit Mercy he went undrafted in the 2012 NBA draft.
== High school career == Holman was born in San Francisco, California, and attended Richmond High School in nearby Richmond.<ref name=foundation>{{Cite web|url=http://eliholmanfoundation.org/|title=About Eli Holman|website=eliholmanfoundation.org|access-date=March 22, 2020|archive-date=March 22, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200322151853/http://eliholmanfoundation.org/|url-status=dead}}</ref> In his sophomore year at Richmond, Holman averaged a triple double, posting 10 points, 15 rebounds and 10 blocks per game.<ref name=titans>{{Cite web|url=https://detroittitans.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/eli-holman/1399|title=32 ELI HOLMAN|website=detroittitans.com|access-date=March 22, 2020}}</ref> During his junior year of high school, Holman was suspended for 14 months for shoving a referee during a December 2005 game.<ref name=seniorhs>{{Cite news|url=https://blog.sfgate.com/sportsevents/2007/01/11/richmmonds-holman-hopes-for-one-final-chance/|title=Richmond's Holman hopes for one final chance|author=Stephens, Mitch|newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle|date=January 11, 2007|access-date=March 22, 2020}}</ref><ref name=headed>{{Cite news|url=https://247sports.com/college/indiana/Article/Holman-Headed-to-Detroit-104516490/|title=Holman Headed to Detroit|website=247sports.com|date=May 7, 2008|author=Decker, John|access-date=March 22, 2020}}</ref> In July 2006, the summer leading to his senior year, Holman was invited to participate in the ABCD Camp, a camp for the best high school players in the United States.<ref name=titans /><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.hoopscooponline.com/members/reebokabcd-2006-3.asp|title=HOOP SCOOP'S RANKING OF THE TOP PLAYERS AT THE REEBOK ABCD CAMP AFTER DAY III|website=hoopscooponline.com|access-date=March 22, 2020|archive-date=March 22, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200322140340/https://www.hoopscooponline.com/members/reebokabcd-2006-3.asp|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Holman was reinstated to play in 2007, and he played the final part of his senior season,<ref name=seniorhs /> averaging 27.4 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists and 10 blocks per game.<ref name=indiana>{{Cite web|url=https://iuhoosiers.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/eli-holman/4551|title=ELI HOLMAN|website=iuhoosiers.com|access-date=March 22, 2020}}</ref> Holman was listed as a top 100 player in the nation by several recruiting services.<ref name=titans /><ref name=indiana /> 247Sports listed him as the 78th best player, and the 8th best center of his class;<ref name=247sports>{{Cite web|url=https://247sports.com/Player/Eli-Holman-63521/|title=Eli Holman, Indiana, Center (BK)|website=247Sports.com|access-date=March 22, 2020}}</ref> Rivals.com listed him as the 85th best player overall;<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://n.rivals.com/content/prospects/2007/eli-holman-36665|title=Eli Holman, 2007 Center|website=Rivals.com|access-date=March 22, 2020}}</ref> and he was ranked 90th according to the Recruiting Services Consensus Index (RSCI).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/awards/recruit_rankings_2007.html|title=Recruiting Services Consensus Index (RSCI) Rankings - 2007|website=Basketball-Reference.com|access-date=March 22, 2020}}</ref>
== College career ==
=== Indiana === Holman committed to Indiana in September 2006 and signed on February 7, 2007.<ref name=247sports /> During the 2007–08 NCAA Division I season Holman found limited playing time under coach Kelvin Sampson, and he had his best performance with the Hoosiers on November 18, 2007, when he scored 4 points and posted 6 rebounds against Longwood.<ref name=titans /> After 6 games with Indiana (1 point and 1.7 rebounds per game in 7.5 minutes of playing time) he injured his wrist,<ref name=indiana /> and missed the rest of the season.<ref name=titans />
=== Detroit Mercy === Holman decided to declare himself available for transfer, and considered the University of San Francisco, California and San Jose State in his home state of California as possible destinations before choosing to play for Detroit Mercy where he followed Ray McCallum, a former assistant coach at Indiana who had been hired as the new head coach at Detroit Mercy.<ref name=headed /> As a result, Holman missed the 2008–09 season due to NCAA transfer rules.<ref name=titans />
Holman debuted with the Titans on November 11, 2009, against the nationally ranked California Golden Bears, posting 15 points and 7 rebounds.<ref name=titans /> On November 23, 2009, Holman was named Horizon League Player of the Week.<ref>[http://www.horizonleague.org/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/112309aaa.html Detroit's Eli Holman named Men's Basketball Player of the Week (Nov. 23)] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120802051224/http://www.horizonleague.org/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/112309aaa.html |date=August 2, 2012 }}, Horizon League, retrieved January 16, 2010.</ref> On January 14, 2010, Holman grabbed 18 rebounds against Milwaukee, which was the 8th best rebounding performance in the NCAA season.<ref name=titans /> He scored a season-high 21 points against Valparaiso during the 2010 Horizon League tournament on March 2, 2010; he also posted 15 rebounds in that game.<ref name=titans /> He led the Horizon League in blocks per game with 2.5,<ref name=titans /> and ranked third on his team in scoring with 11.8 points per game.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/detroit-mercy/2010.html|title=2009-10 Detroit Titans Roster and Stats|website=sports-reference.com|access-date=March 22, 2020}}</ref> His field goal percentage of 61.4% ranked third all-time in the history of Detroit Mercy basketball.<ref name=titans /> At the end of the season, Holman was named in the Horizon League All-Newcomer team.<ref name="AllSeasonHonors">{{Cite web|url=http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/hori/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/2010PostseasonAwards.pdf|title=Horizon League announces men's basketball All-League Teams and specialty award winners|access-date=March 1, 2010|archive-date=November 12, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121112102107/http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/hori/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/2010PostseasonAwards.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Before the start of his junior season, Holman was named a Preseason All-Horizon Second Team selection. He 25 out of 32 total games, with a career-high averages of 28.6 minutes and 9.5 rebounds per game. On November 26, 2010, Holman scored a career-high 27 points (along with 15 rebounds) against Albany in a double-overtime win.<ref name=titans /> On January 28, 2011, he had 5 blocks against Milwaukee. At the end of the season he had totalled 13 double doubles, and was the leading rebounder of the Horizon League;<ref name=titans /> he was named in the All-Horizon League Second Team and was selected in the All-Defensive team.<ref>[http://horizonleague.org/blog/cole-near-unanimous-player-of-the-year-wins-defensive-player-of-the-year-in-postseason-awards-balloting.html Cole Near-Unanimous Player of the Year, Wins Defensive Player of the Year in Postseason Awards Balloting Horizon League announces men's basketball All-League Teams and specialty award winners] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110305025522/http://horizonleague.org/blog/cole-near-unanimous-player-of-the-year-wins-defensive-player-of-the-year-in-postseason-awards-balloting.html |date=March 5, 2011 }}, retrieved March 5, 2011.</ref>
Before the 2011–12 season, Holman was a preseason All-Horizon League First Team selection; however, he lost his starting role for his senior season, and started only 2 of his 26 games. Coach McCallum used him as a sixth man, and he played 23.3 minutes per game coming off the bench.<ref name=titans /> He scored a season-high 21 points against Western Michigan on December 8, 2011.<ref name=titans /> In the NCAA tournament game against Kansas, Holman posted a double double with 10 points and 11 rebounds in 25 minutes of play.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/boxscores/2012-03-16-detroit-mercy.html|title=Kansas vs. Detroit Mercy Box Score, March 16, 2012|website=sports-reference.com|access-date=March 22, 2020}}</ref> At the end of the season, Holman was named Horizon League Sixth Man of the Year.<ref name=titans />
=== College statistics === {{NBA player statistics start}} |- | align="left" | 2007–08 | align="left" | Indiana | 6 || 0 || 7.5 || .250 || .000 || .500 || 1.7 || 0.2 || 0.2 || 0.5 || 1.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2008–09 | style="text-align:left;"| Detroit Mercy | colspan=11 align=center | ''Did not play – transfer'' |- | align="left" | 2009–10 | align="left" | Detroit Mercy | 31 || '''31''' || 28.0 || '''.614''' || .000 || .633 || 8.9 || 0.7 || 0.5 || '''2.5''' || '''11.8''' |- | align="left" | 2010–11 | align="left" | Detroit Mercy | '''32''' || 25 || '''28.6''' || .607 || .000 || '''.694''' || '''9.5''' || '''0.8''' || '''0.9''' || 1.6 || '''11.8''' |- | align="left" | 2011–12 | align="left" | Detroit Mercy | 26 || 2 || 23.3 || .607 || .000 || .595 || 7.0 || 0.7 || 0.7 || 1.3 || 10.8 |- | align="left" | '''Career''' | align="left" | | 95 || 58 || 25.6 || .605 || .000 || .646 || 8.1 || 0.7 || 0.7 || 1.7 || 10.8 |- {{s-end}}
== Professional career == After his senior season with the Titans, Holman was automatically eligible for the 2012 NBA draft, where he went undrafted. Holman was part of the roster of the Houston Rockets for the 2012 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://houston.sbnation.com/2012/7/7/3143279/2012-nba-vegas-summer-league-rockets-release-roster-for-las-vegas|title=2012 NBA Vegas Summer League: Rockets Release Roster For Las Vegas|date=July 7, 2012|website=SBNation.com|author=Maisonet, Eddie|access-date=March 22, 2020}}</ref> After the end of the Summer League Holman was not signed by the Rockets, and he decided to move to Israel, signing for Hapoel Eilat of the Basketball Super League. During the 2012–13 season, his first as a professional, Holman averaged 13 points and 10 rebounds per game (2nd in the league in rebounding, tied with Jumaine Jones and behind Frank Hassell) over 26 appearances.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://basket.co.il/StatsPage_Leaders.asp?cYear=2013&StatsBoard=0 |title=2012–13 BSL Stats Board |publisher=Basket.co.il |date= |accessdate=March 22, 2020}}</ref> He also played 10 playoff games that season, averaging 12.4 points and 7.7 rebounds per game.
In the summer of 2013 Holman again took part in the NBA Summer League: during the 2013 edition he played with the Boston Celtics, playing 4 games during the Orlando Summer League with averages of 3.5 points and 4.3 rebounds. He then signed with Uşak Sportif of the Turkish Basketball League and played the full season with the team, averaging 13.4 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 28 games; he also appeared in 2 playoff games, where he scored 15 points per game in the series against Fenerbahçe.
In 2014 he participated in two tournaments during the 2014 NBA Summer League: he played the Orlando league with the Miami Heat (4 games with 5 points and 4.3 rebounds per game) and he played in Las Vegas with the Toronto Raptors (4 appearances with averages of 3 points and 3 rebounds). He then joined a Chinese team for the first time in his career, signing a contract with the Zhejiang Lions, and he debuted in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA): in his first season he averaged 22.9 points, 14.4 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game while shooting 67.9% from the field. His team qualified for the playoffs, and Holman posted averages of 22.7 points and 15.3 rebounds during the 2015 CBA Playoffs, including a 29-point performance on February 9, 2015; his team was eliminated by the Liaoning Flying Leopards. He then moved to Lebanon and played in the Lebanese Basketball League, earning an All-League Second Team selection with Sporting Al Riyadi Beirut.
He went back to the Zhejiang Lions for the 2015–16 CBA season, and he posted new career-highs with 23.5 points and 15.4 rebounds per game over 37 regular season games: in the 2016 CBA Playoffs Holman recorded 27 points and 9.3 rebounds per game, and his team was eliminated by the Sichuan Blue Whales (2–1 for the series). In March 2016<ref>{{Cite news|title=Hapoel stuns Maccabi in one-sided Tel Aviv derby|newspaper=The Jerusalem Post|date=March 7, 2016}}</ref> Holman signed for Hapoel Jerusalem, and he played in 9 regular season games and 7 playoff games, averaging 11.6 points and 5.1 rebounds in postseason play. He took part in the 2016 Israeli Basketball Super League Final Four, and played in the final game, scoring 8 points and grabbing a team-high 7 rebounds.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://basket.co.il/game-zone.asp?GameID=22121&lang=en|title=Final Four - Winner League Final|website=basket.co.il|access-date=March 22, 2020}}</ref>
Holman returned to the Zhejiang Bulls for his third season with the club: he received less playing time, and in 27.2 minutes per game he averaged 17.5 points and 9.7 rebounds (his only season with less than 10 rebounds per game in the CBA). He participated in the 2017 CBA Playoffs, his third consecutive playoff appearance, and in 4 games he posted averages of 13.8 points and 5 rebounds per game.
In July 2017 he left the Bulls for the Tianjin Gold Lions, and played in 17 games during the 2017–18 CBA season: he started all the games and averaged a career-high 26.7 points per game, along with 14.7 rebounds in 34.5 minutes per game. He then left the team in September 2018.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://archive.sportando.basketball/en/asia/china/288815/eli-holman-tianjin-part-ways.html|title=Eli Holman, Tianjin part ways|website=sportando.basketball|author=Carchia, Emiliano|date=September 17, 2018|access-date=March 22, 2020}}</ref> In 2019 Holman participated in the 2019 FIBA Americas League with Puerto Rican team Capitanes de Arecibo. He then joined Anhui Dragons of the National Basketball League, the second tier of Chinese basketball, in March 2019.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://sportando.basketball/en/taylor-rochestie-and-eli-holman-sign-with-anhui-wenyi/|title=Taylor Rochestie and Eli Holman sign with Anhui Wenyi|date=March 26, 2019|website=sportando.basketball|author=Cauchi, Orazio|access-date=March 22, 2020|archive-date=April 3, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403223231/https://sportando.basketball/en/taylor-rochestie-and-eli-holman-sign-with-anhui-wenyi/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
In October 2019, Holman signed a contract with the Jilin Northeast Tigers of the CBA, returning to the Chinese top league.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://sportando.basketball/en/eli-holman-signs-with-jilin/|title=Eli Holman signs with Jilin|date=October 22, 2019|website=sportando.basketball|author=Carchia, Emiliano|access-date=March 22, 2020}}</ref> He averaged 15.3 points and 10 rebounds per game in the 2019–20 season before the league was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China.
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == *[https://www.proballers.com/basketball/player/56517/elijah-holman Career stats at ProBallers.com] *[https://basketball.realgm.com/player/wd/Summary/4440 Profile at RealGM.com] *[https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/eli-holman-1.html College stats at Sports-Reference.com] *{{Basketball-Reference.com international player|eli-holman-1}} *[https://www.tblstat.net/player/2496 Turkish league stats] *[https://basket.co.il/player.asp?PlayerId=10399&lang=en Israeli league stats]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Holman, Eli}} Category:1989 births Category:Living people Category:21st-century African-American sportsmen Category:20th-century African-American sportsmen Category:20th-century American sportsmen Category:Al Riyadi Club Beirut basketball players Category:American expatriate basketball people in China Category:American expatriate basketball people in Iran Category:American expatriate basketball people in Israel Category:American expatriate basketball people in Lebanon Category:American expatriate basketball people in Mexico Category:American expatriate basketball people in Turkey Category:American men's basketball players Category:Anhui Wenyi Basketball Club players Category:Basketball players from Contra Costa County, California Category:Capitanes de Arecibo players Category:Cariduros de Fajardo players Category:Centers (basketball) Category:Detroit Mercy Titans men's basketball players Category:Hapoel Eilat basketball players Category:Hapoel Jerusalem B.C. players Category:Homenetmen Beirut basketball players Category:Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball players Category:Jilin Northeast Tigers players Category:Libertadores de Querétaro players Category:Mahram Tehran BC players Category:Power forwards Category:Richmond High School (Richmond, California) alumni Category:Sportspeople from Richmond, California Category:Tianjin Pioneers players Category:Uşak Sportif players Category:Zhejiang Lions players Category:21st-century American sportsmen