Brad Brownell describes Avry Holmes as a competitor, a grinder, if you will. He is a guy that will fight for every loose ball and will play hurt if he has to.

“That’s from growing up with brothers and sisters that were always beating up on you every day,” Holmes said. “I grew up with competitive siblings and friends that always make you better.”

Growing up as the baby brother of five can toughen a kid up. Clemson’s senior guard said his brothers and sisters played sports and hung out with their teammates a lot. Wanting to get the approval of his brothers and sisters he would try to hang out, too, but he was always kicked out of their groups.

“As I got older, I would play against them outside and they were always beating me, but I would keep going and going,” Holmes said. “I would stay up at night playing one-on-one outside. It was different things like that probably made me competitive growing up.”

Holmes said his oldest brother, Austin, would rub it in pretty bad, while Aden, his other brother, would bully him and would say some smart remarks that would get Holmes even madder. Holmes remembers how Austin would never stop and would make him cry at times on the basketball court.

There were times when Holmes admitted he would get in fist fights with his brothers, and though he never won he said those fights made him stronger. Mentally stronger that is.

“Both of them told me they were trying to make me better and to never quit no matter how big the person is or isn’t,” Holmes said.

Holmes takes that attitude to the basketball court where the last two seasons at Clemson he has become known for his defense prowess. He is considered to be the Tigers’ best defender and often times he draws the assignment to guard his opponents best player or shooter.

“He is a very competitive guy,” Brownell said. “He is one of those guys that takes things personally and because of that he plays hard and he really wants to do well. He tries to please.”

Brownell said it has been fun coaching Holmes because he will do almost anything for the team. He said they played him so much last year, due to the squad’s lack of depth, his legs almost fell off. However, the Salem, Oregon native credits that toughness to his big brothers who motivated him every day to get stronger and tougher both mentally and physically.

Holmes says Austin is always on Facebook and is updating friends and family on how his little brother Avry is doing at Clemson. When he goes back home, he and Aden still play one-on-one and they talk about basketball. Aden is a middle school and high school coach so he will pick Holmes’ brain about schemes and how to do certain drills.

Having those rivalries with his brothers has allowed Holmes to grow into the Tigers’ best defender and one of their top shooters as well. He is shooting 51 percent from behind the three-point line, the best figure at Clemson in 30 years when Michael Tait connected on 54.5 percent of his threes.

“Growing up I was not highly recruited and seeing those guys I get to play against now is my opportunity to show the world that maybe I was not highly recruited, but I can still D-up,” Holmes said. “Having my friends and brothers always tell me, ‘Alright they’re going to do something with you.’ They are always talking crap to make me mad. They know it is going to make me mad so I go in there with some fire to D-up and stuff like that.”

—Above photo: Clemson guard Avry Holmes (12) dribbles the ball against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the second half last Saturday at the Petersen Events Center. Clemson won 67-60. (Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports)