Troy Holston Jr. verbally commits to St. Joe’s men’s basketball
Troy Holston Jr., graduate transfer from the University of South Florida, verbally committed to St. Joe’s on July 9. He has two years of eligibility left in his collegiate career and will be immediately available to play.
According to Holston, his relationship with Head Coach Phil Martelli, which began back in May, played a significant role in his decision to play for the Hawks.
“I want to cut down nets,” Holston said he told Martelli. “And I want to get to the NCAA tournament. I don’t want to sell myself short of that. I believe in the team that we have, and in adding myself, that we can win.”
After sustaining injuries to his left ACL in the 2015-16 and 2017-18 seasons at the University South Florida, Holston has focused on improving his fitness and health.
“I feel like I’m stronger, I’m leaner,” Holston said. “I’ve been paying attention to my body and just focusing in on what I could focus on.”
Holston is not only excited on a personal level to get back on the court, he also sees the potential in this team to “do something special”.
“I want to win,” Holston said. “I want to be an immediate impact player and someone that has the responsibility of wins and losses. I want to come here and be a leader.”
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Holston also said he wants to continue a winning tradition.
Rising freshman guard Jared Bynum echoed a similar sentiment during an interview with The Hawk in February.
“In the past, St. Joe’s has had a lot of accomplishments,” Bynum said. “They were A-10 champs a couple years ago. That’s my goal. I want to win an A-10 Championship. It’s also been a dream to play in the NCAA Tournament.”
Holston said he will be ready to step up and play once he gets his opportunity. He explained that his shooting and playmaking abilities will have an immediate effect on the team, also noting that he’ll add veteran experience as a graduate student.
“I’m obsessed with [achieving greatness],” Holston said. “I can come in from day one and make an immediate impact and make guys better.”
Holston said he will likely sign his official commitment letter within the next few days, adding that he is committed to playing his final two years of college basketball with St. Joe’s.
“I know the group of guys here want to win,” Holston said. “I’m glad I can be a part of it and have that responsibility of helping them win and helping us win.”
