Holt's love for the game shining through

What kind of player is Bostyn Holt? Well, what kind do you need?

This 6-7 guard from Portland, Ore., who transferred to USD from Utah, has been an important performer in all departments for the Coyotes. On a team with a lot of first-year players taking on new challenges in the Summit League, he has been a significant presence offensively and on defense, where his height and quickness make him tough inside and outside.

The 2023-24 season has been a process for the Coyotes that is not yet near completion. Even after the present season is over, there is more to come with the core of this team.

As it applies to Holt, whose eligibility extends to next year, the Coyotes have needed his offense recently. In three of the last four games, he has scored 22 points or more, including a 27-point effort in a memorable overtime win over Denver at the Sanford Coyote Sports Center.

As more of a floor-leader type, Holt’s stats (12 ppg., 4.7 rpg, 82 assists) show his adaptability and that he pays attention. This includes his overall role during a season that has had some challenges.

“I look to see if guys are engaged right from the start,” said Holt, who started his college career at Coffeyville Community College in Kansas. “Usually, we are in the weight room before practice and there are days when you can tell right then how practice is going to go.”

If the gang needs a pick-me-up, Holt is there for it.

“I try to keep a good relationship with everyone,” he said. “I want to make sure no one has their head down and no one is really upset about something. No one likes losing but no one is giving up. That’s what I’m really trying to say about this team. We all still believe what we’re all about.”

Holt’s time at Coffeyville Community College included a national title his sophomore season. He went on to Utah and played two years for former USD coach Craig Smith. USD coach Eric Peterson, the former Utah assistant, sought out Holt, who went into the transfer portal, and signed him last spring to play for the Coyotes.

His time in Kansas gave him a taste of the Midwest. His life in Portland prepared him for the sun not being out at least a few times a week during the winter. His passion for basketball filled in the rest. It’s not really as complicated as it seems sometimes, especially when it starts with the sport itself.

Holt is quick to remember that when things aren’t going exactly the way he or his teammates want them to go.

“I love what we have going on here,” he said. “I enjoy every second of it. I love the game, I love the team. I’m excited to practice every day. The coaches bring great energy and they keep us motivated. I continue to believe we’re going to start winning games once we start clicking and figuring some things out.”

He is pursuing a master’s degree in business administration at USD with a bachelor’s degree already in hand. He’s not sure what he’ll be doing with it after that, but he has time yet to figure that out. Part of his reason for deciding on USD had to do with the quality of the business program.

“I know that to have a degree from here is really big-time,” he said. “I’m happy to be pursuing that while I’m playing basketball here. Ideas sometimes hit my brain about what I want to do with an MBA. We’ll see what the future holds.”

His hometown of Portland is “chill” most of the time, he said, and he liked growing up there. 

“The main thing is that it’s home and it rains a lot,” Holt said. “When you live there, you get used to it. So, I’m a rain guy. The whole northwest is where I like to be.”

He is also liking South Dakota and the way his teammates are getting through trying circumstances. There are plenty of clichés that apply but they all come down to keeping the faith.

“We have to look at every day like it’s a new experience,” Holt said. “It’s a new battle. We move on believing we’re going to be able to figure this out because we have the guys in the locker room and on the court who can do it.”