MANSFIELD, Texas – One of the most in-demand 2023 prospects left on the board, five-star forward Ron Holland, says he’ll have a solid idea of where he’ll attend college before Halloween. That said, he’s not tipping his hand just yet.
Rivals recently caught up with the Texas-based star to discuss the final stretch of his recruitment and where each team in the hunt to land his letter of intent stands.
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ON A DECISION DATE
“I don’t know about a decision day yet, but I should have a good idea of where I’m going, probably sometime in October.”
ON WHAT'S LEFT TO EXPLORE
“I go to UCLA on Oct. 10 and I’m going to Texas vs. Arkansas (charity game in Austin) on the 29th.”
ON TEXAS
“I feel like things are good with Texas. They tell me that I’m a Texas kid, so it has to work. You know, it’s a fit from that standpoint. I’m the No. 1 player in Texas. They believe in me, and I believe in them. They talk to me about how it has to work because of their branding and all that. You know Texas branding is big. How they play basketball is a fit, too. Coach Beard produces pros and he coaches exactly how I play.”
ON TEXAS’ PITCH
“I’d say their pitch is about how it has to work on the court but a big part of it is off the court, too. They talk about the branding and how they coach.”
ON WHAT HE WANTS TO SEE ON HIS RETURN TRIP TO UCLA
“I’m going to watch practice to see what they’re really about. I’ve already been there so this trip is just for that. I want to get out there and make sure that if I pick UCLA, I'm in the best spot for me.”
ON ARKANSAS
"They have a great coaching staff and a great group of guys. They're going to be really good this year. Their pitch to me is that they do things at the NBA level. They have an NBA facility and do everything like the NBA does it."
ON IF KNOWING PLAYERS ON THE RAZORBACKS' ROSTER HELPS THEM
“Definitely. I played against those dudes my whole life and I played with Anthony Black my junior year, so it’s good they’re there. Everything is comfortable.”
ON THE CHANCES OF A LAST-MINUTE VISIT ANYWHERE ELSE
“The UCLA visit should be the last thing, but I’m talking to Kentucky a lot right now too. I probably won't go back out there because I can’t make it to Big Blue Madness.”
RIVALS' REACTION
Arkansas feels like the team to beat by a slight margin here, but it’s impossible to know what change Holland’s upcoming UCLA visit may have on the situation. The Razorbacks should feel decent about where they stand, but it’s not time to start counting chickens by any stretch. Kentucky is a real player. UCLA and Texas are capable of becoming serious threats in short order depending on how things break.
