Steve Holdren is a Champaign native who started his college basketball career at South Dakota State before transferring to Illinois.

The sophomore forward was a high school teammate of Trent Meacham, averaging 17.9 points and 7.1 rebounds per game for Centennial.

Holdren sat out last season at South Dakota State with a torn ACL, and will be forced to sit out a second consecutive season per NCAA transfer rules.

Q: What’s the transition been like?

A: It’s been a little tough at times. Overall I’m happy with the decision I’ve made. It’s been fun so far.

I’m just trying to get into the system and learn my way around here. But it’s been pretty good.

Q: Is it nice being back on the same team as Trent?

A: Yeah, it’s really nice. It makes it feel like old times, so that’s pretty cool.

Q: Did he have any influence on your decision to transfer?

A:Yeah, he had a good amount of influence on me. It was mostly just my decision in my wanting to come back here and play, but him being here definitely helped.

Q: How much is Illinois different from South Dakota State?

A: You can see the difference in this being one of the top programs in the country where South Dakota State is a program that’s building its way up.

You can see the difference between an established major program and a building, mid-to-low major program.

Q: It can’t be fun knowing you have to sit out this season. How are you approaching this year, what attitude do you take to practice every day?

A: This year, like you said, it sucks that I’m sitting out, but there’s nothing I can do about it. Those are the rules and I just have to deal with it.

For me it’s almost better because of my knee, I’m not ready to play right now anyway.

This gives me a chance to get my knee back to where it was and then also gives me time to get acquainted with the system and everything else.

Q: What did you do to it?

A: I tore it up pretty bad. I tore my ACL, both cartilages, and fractured a bone.

Q: How tough is it to go two seasons without playing?

A: It’s been pretty tough, I’d much rather be out there on the court playing.

But it’s something I have to do, something I have to deal with. It’s part of the decision I made and I knew that coming in, so I just have to get through it.

Q: What are the advantages of being a townie?

A: I know the ins and outs, I know the hole-in-the-wall places to eat, I just know about anything and everything there is to do around here. And I know a lot of people.

Q: What’s the best hole-in-the-wall place nobody knows about?

A: I’d probably have to go with Lil’ Porgy’s Bar-be-cue. It’s a good place.