'It just felt right.' HSE's Holman follows in mother's footsteps to Oregon

Kennedy 'KK' Holman has been wearing the No. 11 since she first started playing basketball. It's the same number her mom, Lisa Holman (née Bowyer), wore during her time at Oregon (1995-99), where she made a name for herself as an elite defender and is among the program's all-time assist leaders.

"It goes deep for us," Lisa said Friday morning, adding the two even got tattoos with the number 11 over the summer. Lisa inspired KK's love for basketball and helped coach the nationally ranked point guard through high school as an assistant at Hamilton Southeastern. The Australia native always thought it would be "cool" if her daughter followed in her footsteps, but admittedly never thought it would happen.

But then the Ducks offered the 5-foot-8 guard a scholarship a few weeks before the start of her junior season. She ultimately chose Florida over her mom's alma mater, but when Kelly Rae Finley was fired in late March, KK decided to reopen her recruitment. A few weeks and a visit to Eugene later, KK Holman announced she would be following in her mom's footsteps and committing to the Oregon Ducks.

"It's always been a dream of mine to play at Oregon," said Holman, who's ranked 53rd nationally by ESPN. "(My mom) is the reason I play basketball and being able to carry on her legacy at Oregon means a lot to me. " "I couldn't be any more proud of her," Lisa added.