Taveion Hollingsworth
Taveion Hollingsworth (born August 14, 1998) is an American college basketball player for the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers of the Conference USA (C-USA).
Hollingsworth with Western Kentucky in 2018 | |
No. 11 – Western Kentucky Hilltoppers | |
---|---|
Position | Point guard |
League | Conference USA |
Personal information | |
Born | August 14, 1998 |
Nationality | American |
Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
Listed weight | 165 lb (75 kg) |
Career information | |
High school | Paul Laurence Dunbar (Lexington, Kentucky) |
College | Western Kentucky (2017–present) |
Career highlights and awards | |
|
Early life and high school career
Hollingsworth grew up in Pontiac, Michigan and started playing basketball at age six. In second grade, he moved with his family to Lexington, Kentucky.[1] He attended Paul Laurence Dunbar High School in Lexington. As a junior, he led his team to its first state championship, scoring 20 points in the title game and earning tournament most valuable player honors.[2] Hollingsworth averaged 28.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 3.1 steals per game as senior. He was named Kentucky Mr. Basketball and Kentucky Gatorade Player of the Year.[3][4] A three-star recruit, he committed to playing college basketball for Western Kentucky over an offer from UAB.[5] He had also received a conditional scholarship offer from Kentucky.[6]
College career
On February 15, 2018, Hollingsworth scored a freshman season-high 30 points, the most by a Western Kentucky freshman since 1955,[7] and grabbed seven rebounds in a 102–94 overtime win over North Texas.[8] On March 21, he scored 30 points for a second time with eight rebounds in a 92–84 quarterfinal win over Oklahoma State at the 2018 National Invitation Tournament.[9] As a freshman, Hollingsworth averaged 13.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game despite playing several games with a broken nose. He earned Conference USA All-Freshman Team honors and surpassed Courtney Lee for Western Kentucky's freshman scoring record.[10] Hollingsworth was suspended from an exhibition game prior to his sophomore season for a violation of team rules, after being cited for marijuana possession.[11] As a sophomore, he averaged 14.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. He was named to the Third Team All-Conference USA as well as the All-Tournament Team.[12] On February 27, 2020, Hollingsworth posted a career-high 43 points, six rebounds and three assists in a 95–91 overtime win over Louisiana Tech. He scored the most single-game points by a Western Kentucky player since Jim McDaniels in 1971.[13] Five days later, he was named Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week.[14] As a junior, Hollingsworth averaged 16.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game, earning First Team All-Conference USA honors.[15]
Career statistics
GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
College
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2017–18 | Western Kentucky | 38 | 37 | 34.5 | .480 | .378 | .791 | 3.4 | 1.9 | 1.0 | .1 | 13.3 |
2018–19 | Western Kentucky | 34 | 34 | 36.8 | .418 | .318 | .771 | 4.4 | 2.2 | 1.2 | .2 | 14.4 |
2019–20 | Western Kentucky | 30 | 30 | 34.9 | .471 | .308 | .843 | 4.2 | 2.7 | 1.3 | .1 | 16.6 |
Career | 102 | 101 | 35.4 | .454 | .337 | .806 | 4.0 | 2.2 | 1.2 | .1 | 14.6 |
Personal life
Hollingsworth is the son of Kathy Sweatt and Maurice Hollingsworth. Both of his parents were standout basketball players at Harlan High School in Harlan, Kentucky.[1] He has a daughter, Aubrey, who was born in 2017.[16]
References
- Bishop, Chad (January 5, 2018). "On pace to become one of the highest-scoring freshmen in WKU history, Hollingsworth plays for more on and off the court". WBKO. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
- "Paul Dunbar wins first-ever state basketball title". Kentucky New Era. The Associated Press. March 20, 2016. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
- Moore, Josh (March 20, 2017). "Taveion Hollingsworth named Kentucky Gatorade Boys' Basketball Player of the Year". Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
- "Hilltopper signee Hollingsworth named 2017 Kentucky Mr. Basketball". The Daily News. March 24, 2017. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
- Stephens, Brad (November 9, 2016). "In-state Class of '17 guard Hollingsworth commits to WKU". The Daily News. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
- Story, Mark (February 22, 2018). "Thriving at WKU, Hollingsworth has no regrets about UK". Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
- Stephens, Brad (March 31, 2018). "'Sky's the limit' for Hollingsworth after remarkable freshman year". The Daily News. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
- "Hilltoppers Ride Hollingsworth, Free Throws to Overtime Win at North Texas". Western Kentucky University Athletics. February 15, 2018. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
- "Hollingsworth leads Western Kentucky past Oklahoma State into NIT semis". WYMT-TV. March 21, 2018. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
- Stephens, Brad (March 14, 2018). "Hollingsworth breaks Lee's WKU freshman scoring record". The Daily News. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
- "WKU's Taveion Hollingsworth cited for marijuana possession". WBKO. November 1, 2018. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
- "Hilltoppers Picked to Win League; Hollingsworth, Bassey Named to Preseason Team". Western Kentucky University Athletics. October 17, 2019. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
- Wells, Elliott (February 27, 2020). "Taveion Hollingsworth's career-high 43 points sends WKU past Louisiana Tech in overtime classic". College Heights Herald. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
- "Hollingsworth Named USBWA National Player of the Week". Western Kentucky University Athletics. March 3, 2020. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
- "Tops Picked as C-USA Favorite; Hollingsworth, Bassey Named to Preseason Team". Western Kentucky University Athletics. November 5, 2020. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
- Estes, Gentry (December 31, 2018). "Taveion Hollingsworth a shooting star at WKU, one that got away for UK". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved December 2, 2020.