5-Star PF Ron Holland is the recruit Texas basketball needs

At this point of the cycle, the 2023 Texas basketball recruiting class is still without its first commit. Head coach Chris Beard is still seeking out the first addition to his 2023 recruiting class more than a few months after signing down his 2022 class. But the patience game worked for Beard and his staff before, and they’re looking to make it work again for the 2023 cycle.

One of the top early targets to watch for the Longhorns 2023 class is the elite five-star in-state power forward Ron Holland. This uber-talented Duncanville High School big man stands at 6-foot-8 and 195-pound and is the ideal piece for the Longhorns to build out the foundation in the 2023 class.

Texas appears to be one of the top schools in the mix in the race to land a commitment from Holland at this moment. Some of the other top schools to watch in his recruitment entering the summer are the Kentucky Wildcats, Arkansas Razorbacks, Memphis Tigers, and UCLA Bruins.

I also wouldn’t count out the option of Holland going the G-League route as of yet. The G-League is a real possibility for Holland as a number of five-star recruits and NBA-caliber talents before him have taken to the same path.

Moreover, the decision timeline for Holland could be shaping up in a way that could be pretty beneficial for Beard and the Longhorns. A report from Inside Texas this week (paid content) indicates that Holland is looking to get a visit to Austin later this summer. That would make it the next couple of months that the Longhorns could expect Holland on campus.

This also likely means that Holland could at least be waiting until the end of the summer or the fall to announce his commitment. That would give Beard and the Longhorns more time to make some moves among the top schools in his recruitment.

Considering that Texas does look to be at least a little bit behind some of the other top schools in the race to land a commitment from Holland such as Kentucky and Arkansas, that would be a meaningful development for Beard and his staff.

Late last summer and early in the fall was when Beard and the Longhorns started to catch fire on the recruiting trail to build out the 2022 class with key prospects such as five-stars Dillon Mitchell and Arterio Morris. We could see a similar wave of momentum for the Longhorns in this recruiting cycle if things fall their way with key prospects such as Holland.

Moreover, what Holland could bring to the table for the Longhorns is much more than just the first five-star commit. He would be an immediate impact player that could take this frontcourt unit to another level. Holland is a dynamic two-way forward that could play at almost every single position on the floor.

Texas basketball should make 5-Star PF Ron Holland the top priority for the 2023 class

Holland is still working on his outside shooting, similar to that of Mitchell, but he excels in pretty much every other part of the game. He’s got insane length, and athleticism, and is a great on-ball defender. The 6-foot-8 frame and wingspan north of 6-foot-10 combined with Holland’s above-average lateral agility and footspeed allows him to be a very switchable defender too.

He could be extremely disruptive on that end of the floor. And he is very active on the glass, so he could be a plus player in almost every regard for the Longhorns defensively.

On the offensive end of the floor, Holland is also a very high-energy player on the inside that can commonly haul in tough offensive boards and get to the rim with ease. His fluidity, quickness, and strength allow him to effortlessly get to the rim and draw contact. Holland is also an effective free-throw shooter, so he’s efficient in knocking down his frequent looks from the stripe.

Holland is the type of big man that could be a real program-changing talent for the Longhorns. He would also continue this flush pipeline of talent that Beard and the Longhorns are building at the forward position after signing a top 10 ranked prospect in Mitchell with the 2022 class.

Moreover, Texas first needs to continue to make Holland a top priority on the recruiting trail so they can start to separate themselves among his top schools.

Getting him to campus in the next couple of months and making the right pitch when he’s in Austin would be the next step during the summer. If Texas can get a successful visit in place with Holland, that would help them gain some real momentum with him on the trail.

Holland is the second-highest rated 2023 recruit that currently holds an offer from Texas. He’s also one of the top priorities for Beard and the Longhorns for this cycle along with fellow five-star and Link Academy (MO) shooting guard Ja’Kobe Walter.