Indiana's Emmitt Holt: Devin Davis incident 'changed my life forever'
Indiana guard Emmitt Holt told ESPN.com on Thursday that the incident in which Holt hit teammate Devin Davis with his car changed his life "forever."
On the night of Nov. 1, Holt dropped Davis off in a parking lot by Indiana's football stadium but then struck Davis when he ran back onto the roadway. The accident sent Davis to the hospital in serious condition and Holt, who registered a BAC of .025, was cited for illegal consumption.
"It was just an awful night, to be honest, that probably changed my life forever," Holt said in an exclusive interview with ESPN.com. "It did actually change my life forever. When I went to visit [Davis] in the hospital for the first time it was like ... it was ... crazy.
"Then when we talked the first time, I don't want to go into great detail, but he was trying to comfort me, telling me it wasn't my fault. But deep down, I'll always feel like it was my fault. It was one of those moments where you realize you have to be a better person."
Police ruled shortly after the incident that Holt wasn't at fault for striking Davis. Davis was released from a rehab facility Wednesday and will now begin outpatient therapy.
Holt, a freshman, was suspended four games by Indiana coach Tom Crean for his citation.
After sitting out two exhibition games and the first two games of the regular season, Holt will make his Indiana debut Thursday against SMU, telling ESPN.com that he feels ready to play basketball despite lingering feelings of guilt the past few weeks.
Two other Hoosiers, sophomore Troy Williams and Stanford Robinson, will also return from four-game suspensions Thursday after reportedly failing drug tests.
Holt committed to the Hoosiers in August and was rated a three-star recruit by Rivals.com. Davis, a sophomore, averaged 2.4 points and 2.6 rebounds over 29 games last season.
Indiana is 2-0 to start the season.
- Ben Estes
