Texas basketball ‘not walking away’ from 5-Star F Ron Holland

Texas basketball and newly-hired full-time head coach Rodney Terry have gone through a bad run on the recruiting trail in the 2023 class, to say the very least, in the last few weeks. Texas has lost both of Texas’ five-star signees in the 2023 class in the last three weeks.

One of the elite five-star signees Terry and the Longhorns lost in the 2023 class recently is Duncanville forward Ron Holland. The other was five-star Southern California Academy combo guard AJ Johnson, who signed with the NBL’s Illawarra Hawks to play in Australia next season.

The 6-foot-8 and 195-pound DFW-area product Holland de-committed from Texas over the weekend while requesting a release from his National Letter of Intent with the Longhorns. And I have to say that the de-commitment of Holland hurts more than losing Johnson in the 2023 class.

Holland was the higher-rated recruit compared to Johnson and he was a Naismith High School boys Player of the Year award finalist after a sensational senior season at Duncanville. A lot of the early mocks for the 2024 NBA Draft also project Holland as a top-five pick in the lottery.

It’s clear that the de-commitment of Holland could leave a gaping hole in the frontcourt/forward rotation for Terry and the Longhorns next season. That is if Texas can’t get Holland recommitted to the 2023 class this offseason.

Texas basketball will keep pressing recent 5-Star F de-commit Ron Holland

Moreover, before getting into this report, I do want to mention that I don’t think it’s overwhelmingly realistic to expect a recommitment from Holland.

Yet, it’s worth noting that Texas’ staff is still keeping its foot on the gas in terms of pursuing Holland on the recruiting trail this offseason. Justin Wells of Inside Texas reported on May 1 (paid content) that the Longhorns are “not walking away” from this recruitment.

It sounds like there are a ton of hurdles for the Longhorns to work through with Holland’s recruitment. But the staff isn’t giving up on the immense talent that Holland could bring to the table next season.

Holland has received calls from programs all over the country since he re-opened his recruitment over the weekend. Texas, the Arkansas Razorbacks, and Kentucky Wildcats lead the way among the schools expected to be heavily involved this spring in Holland’s recruitment.

We will continue to monitor this recruitment for any relevant updates that come about in the coming days and weeks.

Texas is now without a single commitment from the high school ranks in the 2023 class. The two commitments that Terry and the Longhorns do have in the 2023 class at the moment came via the transfer portal. Texas landed portal commitments this offseason from the former Virginia Cavaliers redshirt junior center Kadin Shedrick and Oral Roberts senior standout guard Max Abmas.