10 Joey Holland

Joey Holland was born Joseph Burnett Holland, Jr. on February 25, 1955, to Joseph Burnett Holland, Sr. and Betty Jane Priestley Holland.  His father, Joe Holland, was a member of the first University of Kentucky men’s basketball national championship team, the Fabulous Five’s 1947-48 championship team.

In high school, Holland led George Washington High in Charleston, West Virginia, to a 51-21 record during a three-year career and played on the Patriots’ state championship as a sophomore.  He averaged 21.6 ppg and 14.4 rebounds his senior year and was basketball captain as a junior and senior.  He scored 955 points in his high school career.  He also lettered once in football and twice in track.

Holland was a guard for the University of Kentucky Wildcats men’s basketball team from 1973-1976. Standing 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighing 165 pounds, he played alongside notable teammates such as Jack Givens, Kevin Grevey, and Jimmy Dan Conner.

He signed a letter-of-intent to play basketball at Kentucky on June 6, 1973.  He chose Kentucky over Louisville, North Carolina, and Purdue.  Coach Joe B. Hall and assistant Dick Parsons signed Holland at his home in Charleston.  “I’ve known Hall for a long time through Dad, and I’ve been a Kentucky fan for years because of family ties,” the new Wildcat said.

As a freshman in 1973-74, Holland started in each of the ten games for the junior varsity. His high output came against UK Dental College, drilling the future dentists for 22 points. He averaged 11.6 points per game and connected on 48.1% of his fielders. He was co-leader in free throw accuracy with an 84.2 mark and led the team in assists with 40.

As a sophomore, Holland played in eight games, averaging 1.1 ppg and 0.9 rebounds.  He hit 40 percent from the field and 83.3 percent of his free throws.  He scored a high game of four points at Mississippi State on March 8, 1975.

As a junior, Holland played in nine games, scoring five points on the season.  He hit 50 percent from the field and 75 percent of his free throws.  He scored a high game of four points at Northwestern on December 1, 1975.

Holland passed up his senior year of eligibility and did not play.

In his collegiate career, Holland appeared in 17 games, averaging 0.8 points and 0.5 rebounds per game.

After his time at Kentucky, Joey Holland pursued a career in the automotive industry, following in the footsteps of his father, Joe Holland, a former UK basketball player and successful car dealer. Joey became the general sales manager for his father’s dealership, Holland Chevrolet, in Charleston, West Virginia.

Joey Holland’s legacy is intertwined with that of his father, Joe Holland, who was a member of the University of Kentucky’s first men’s basketball national championship team in 1948. Joe Holland had a distinguished career both on and off the court, including playing for the Indianapolis Olympians in the NBA and later becoming a prominent car dealer in West Virginia and Kentucky.