Why Did Ron Holland Decommit NCAA Opportunity? Where Does He Play Now?

Ron Holland’s initial inclinations made the Texas Longhorns believe that they were bringing home a fiery baller. The 6-foot-8 forward from Duncanville High School in Texas was declared second best in the final 2023 rankings. Naturally, the Longhorns driven by the 2022 rollarcoster preseason were hopeful until the budding star decided otherwise.

Withdrawing from Texas, Holland has now announced that he will reopen his recruitment. The top-ranked men’s basketball prospect in the 2023 class was hailed as an impactful, athletic and a top-finisher. He already earned scholarship offers from several top collegiate basketball schools, including Kentucky, UCLA, Houston, and Kansas. But his decision of disengagement surprised many.

But Why Ron Holland said No to Texas?

“This was not an easy process,” Ron told ESPN. “I want to take this time to thank the head coach and the entire Texas coaching staff for their consideration. I would also like to thank the Longhorn Nation for all their love and support. While this has been a difficult process, I have decided to de-commit from the University of Texas and reopen my recruitment. Texas will still be one of my top schools of choice. At times it was scary because at times I had no idea where I would be.”

Ron is an agile athlete with excellent bounce. He can compete at the NBA level. Right now, his greatest asset is his ability to play defense. He is exceptional at stopping his opponent one-on-one or switching to assist the defense.

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The NBA has been more and more interested in him since Ron is an excellent switch defender. His ability to battle shooters on the perimeter, stay in front of the ball against smaller and faster players off the dribble, and play post-defense against bigger and stronger guys is impressive.

Reigniting career in the G-league

Ron Holland decided that the best way to be ready for an NBA career was to play a season in the G League with the Ignite rather than attend collegiate basketball. Ron Holland gave it some thinking. The 18-year-old basketball phenom kept considering his choices even after he signed a letter of intent to play for Texas.

“My basketball playing abilities will be realized in the G League, which will help me prepare for the NBA,” he added in the ESPN interview. “I need to keep trying to win games while also conditioning my body and honing my talents to have a lengthy career. They have a program to help me improve both physically and mentally. To score in space on the perimeter against a set defender, I know I need to improve my footwork, ball handling, and consistency as a shooter.”

The G League Ignite route, which has produced players like Jalen Green and Scoot Henderson since its inception in 2020, proved an appealing option for Holland, who is placed sixth in ESPN’s early 2024 NBA draft rankings.

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Ranked among the top five prospects for 2023, Holland is the second elite prospect to sign with G League Ignite, following Matas Buzelis. Top-30 player with a flexible wing Dink Pate just announced his intention to reclassify into the 2023 class and join G League Ignite.