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Maybe to rest, refocus or even sulk a bit. Stay away from the game, for a week or two.

Nope. Holmes returned quickly to start working out with his 2025-26 Goodyear Millennium High School teammates this week and, by Friday afternoon, he was on Court 3 of the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Athletic Grounds leading the Tigers to a 73-44 win over Pasadena (Calif.) High School.

“When I got back, I went straight to the gym,� Holmes said. “There’s no time off nowadays and I’m still young, so my legs still work. Just because I got cut doesn’t mean anything. I can come back and play my game.�

Millennium coach Ty Admundsen said he was not surprised Holmes made the transition so quickly.

“He was down for about 48 hours, but Cam knows how to bounce back and he knows he’s right there close to that top 15,� Admundsen said. “He came in here and he showed what he can really do.

“I had no doubts. I’ve been with Cam a long time. He’s a bounce back type of kid who just wants to play with his teammates. Just having him back is a blessing for us.�

Not only did the Section 7 represent just a four-day turnaround for Holmes after his final USA Basketball workout, but it also meant turning from a complementary player into a standout again.

But also, maybe one with a little more high-level experience in his game.

“The transition was all right,� Holmes said. “It was kind of hard because playing at USA, everyone’s tough. Here, you can’t slack off. I had to be a leader and we got the dub.�

The Section 7 event, a showcase of mostly western U.S. high schools who have Division I prospects, represents the first chance most teams have for molding their upcoming season’s roster, with seniors gone and everyone else moving up.

As a rising senior on a team that should be among the top ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Open Division competitors next season, along with Phoenix teams such as Sunnyslope and St. Mary’s, Holmes said he wasn’t going to miss the chance to get going.

“The grind never stops and we want to win the championship, so we’re going to stay in shape for that,� he said.

While Holmes expressed confidence in Millennium’s prospects next season, he said he’s also making sure to check out the other ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ teams in the Section 7 event.

One reason for Holmes’ optimism: The Tigers received three significant transfers, including Gabe Coronado from Catalina Foothills, DJ Spencer from Phoenix Desert Vista and highly regarded rising sophomore wing Aden Diggs, who transferred from Gilbert Williams Field to Millennium.

“It definitely gives us a different dynamic,� Amundsen said. “It makes us more athletic than last year. We rebound a lot better and those guys can score in bunches. It’s gonna take a little bit of time to gel, but overall, I was really happy with what I saw for the first game.�

Already drawing UA’s recruiting interest before he even begins his sophomore season, Diggs made the move back to the West Valley to join the Tigers. He already has roots in the area, saying he lived in Peoria during middle school before playing at Williams Field as a freshman last season.

The new group began working out in preparation for Section 7, getting Holmes back just in time to serve as the leader.

“I feel like we are already meshing together, and in practice coach puts us through drills that help us build chemistry offensively and defensively,� Diggs said. “That’s why we look so good.�