will accept the team's last scholarship for the most recent class of high school graduates. While Holt was a finalist for the Basketball Coaches Association of New York's Mr. Basketball award, the offer from Indiana was a surprise.

Holt wanted to talk about his change in plans but spent Wednesday flying back to Rochester.

The amount of interest from schools during recruiting puzzled Webster Schroeder coach Matt Spadoni to a point.

"I'm not surprised, though I am surprised that it happened so quickly,'' Spadoni said. "I'm not surprised since it was his goal to play at the highest level.

"I think Emmitt has unlimited potential, he kept getting better and better. He is a team player, and I think when you put him in a highly competitive environment like that it willbring even more out.''

Holt averaged 19.8 points, 14.6 rebounds and 5 blocks during his final season with Webster Schroeder, on a team where he was asked occassionally to dribble the ball upcourt like a guard.

Coaches with the Albany City Rocks, an Amateur Athletic Union program that Holt played in, said that interest in the two-time Democrat and Chronicle All-Greater Rochester team member began to climb in the spring, and that he had at least 25 scholarship offers midway through the summer.

Holt, at one point, led the Elite Youth Basketball League in blocked shots. The EYBL includes AAU teams that carry high school players listed among the nation's top 100 recruits in their class.

While Holt ran into some difficulty during the final, Holt averaged 21 points, 13 rebounds and