Basketball recruit grazed by bullet

A member of the 2007 IU basketball recruiting class received a minor wound from a bullet in his upper back Saturday outside a hotel in California, according to a report by the Contra Costa Times.\nEli Holman, a 6-foot-9 center from Richmond, Calif., was riding in the front passenger seat of a Mercedes when he was shot just before 11 p.m. Saturday in the parking lot of a Quality Inn in Richmond where he and three friends were arriving to attend a party. \nHolman was the only one in the car who was hit. He was treated and released at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center on Sunday morning.\nThe incident will not affect Holman's ability to play at IU. But he told the Contra Costa Times he will not play a high school basketball game in Richmond or return to the city again. According to the article, Holman will finish high school through a home-study program.\nThe Indiana Daily Student was unable to contact Holman as of press time.\nHolman has been serving a suspension by the California Interscholastic Federation since December 2005 after he pushed an official in the fourth game of the 2005-2006 season. The CIF was considering reinstatement for Holman when the incident occurred. A decision was supposed to come Monday but was delayed as a result of the shooting.\nRecruiting Web site Rivals.com lists Holman as a three-star recruit and ranks him the No. 10 center in the nation and No. 121 overall. \nHe is part of a five-player recruiting class that will begin playing at IU next season. The class includes Indianapolis North Central standout Eric Gordon, the No. 2-ranked player in the nation.\n"With Eli Holman, the sky's the limit for this kid," IU coach Kelvin Sampson said Nov. 8, 2006, the day Holman signed his letter of intent. "By the time he gets here, he's probably going to be at least 6-10. Long-armed kids have a tendency to play bigger than they really are. His reach is 7-7. He's left-handed and has a passion for blocking shots and playing defense. He's a kid that can come in and play a role because he already embraces it."\nThe IU Athletics Department did not return phone calls for comment .