- Jackson Holcombe led Utah Valley to a crucial win over California Baptist.
- Holcombe scored 25 points with five rebounds four steals and a block.
- Holcombe values family and education, aiming to leave a positive legacy.
OREM — As he laced up his Kobe 8 Pronto's during his pregame routine, a ritual of his each game, Utah Valley star basketball player Jackson Holcombe looked to make history.
The sophomore phenom, originally from Charleston, South Carolina, prepared to take on California Baptist in what proved to be one of the biggest games of the season thus far.
In the reformed WAC, where teams play each other three times, home wins become critical; and Holcombe and the Wolverines found themselves down 6 after the first half.
Holcombe went on to score 14 of his 25 points in the second half, paired with five rebounds. He was also a force on the defensive end with four steals and a block.
"Our emphasis in those huddles is always defense," Holcombe said. "We always say we win games on defense. We really took pride in getting stops down the stretch."
But how did the phenom get to Utah Valley and take his game of basketball seriously?
"I wasn't the basketball player I was when I left on my (church) mission. I mean, you take two years off it. It does a number, it really does," Holcombe said. "I was actually kind of struggling at first, but I just put my head down and did a lot of extra workouts."
As a senior in high school, Holcombe averaged 20 points a game, nine rebounds, and four assists, making him an offensive threat at nearly every level. But his defense wasn't bad, either, averaging two steals and a block per contest.
"Probably around sixth or seventh grade, I was like, 'This could significantly help benefit my life and give me an opportunity to get my education paid for,'" Holcombe said. "This was a chance for my parents to not have to worry about paying for college."
The first thought of him playing basketball at an elite level was to help his parents financially.
"Family is very important to me, and so I just keep the people I love very close to me, and so being with them means everything to me," Holcombe said. "I think that's actually one of the reasons I was able to find success is I saw how hard my father and mother sacrificed for how much they sacrificed for me so that I could do the things that I love."
Holcombe moved to Utah County when he was 11 years old, where he played at Timpanogos High in Orem. His younger brother, Lincoln, currently plays at Timpview in Provo, too.
"I've just been looking up to him for a while. I just want to copy what he does," Lincoln Holcombe said. "I want to be him. Even when it's not his best game he will find other ways to contribute."
Lincoln Holcombe continued to rave about his older brother, saying, "He's my best friend, there's no banter when we get competitive. We just want to help each other."
While he loves the game of basketball and hopes to make it to the next level, Jackson Holcombe isn't too worried about being a big name.
"I just hope that I left a good legacy, that I was a good basketball player," Holcombe said. "But I hope people say he was a better person that loved his family and that's what I hope comes from my basketball legacy."
Holcombe's leadership role continues to help the Wolverines as they continue a three-game road slate that began with Southern Utah on Wednesday and will move on to California Baptist and Tarleton State in no doubt the toughest three-game stretch of the season.
