Ron Holland schedules official visit to Kentucky in June
Five-star wing Ron Holland, the nation’s No. 2 overall prospect in the 2023 On3 Rankings, will take an official visit to Kentucky in June.
After including Kentucky among his final eight options back on May 8 — UK joins Arkansas, UCLA, Houston, Auburn, Texas, Memphis, and the G-League on the list — Holland has scheduled a trip to Lexington from June 13-15. He announced the news Tuesday afternoon.
The Duncanville (Texas) High product is a do-it-all forward with a college-ready body that allows him to play two through four, a workhorse on both ends of the floor. A unique combination of size and skill, Holland is the prime definition of positionless basketball. That’s exactly what he’s aiming for as a player, hoping to give coaches the freedom to play him wherever they feel he fits within their respective programs.
“I’m working on consistency with my shot, and really a whole lot of ball-handling,” he told KSR. “Everything else, my offense and defense is going to come. As much as coaches like me, as I get to their programs, I want to be able to give them the option to put me at whatever position they need me to do.”
Holland has not yet received a scholarship from Kentucky, the only school on his list that hasn’t extended one. The 6-foot-8, 200-pound forward told KSR in April that he hoped to earn one from the program and was open to a visit.
“I’ve always liked Kentucky growing up,” Holland told KSR. “It was one of the schools I really looked out for. Their level of communication, they text me before games, tell me what I’m getting better at and ask me what I’m working on, which I like because he wants to know how I am as a person. … I feel like a visit will come probably in the next month. If they’re really interested, I feel like they’ll set it up with me.”
The latter half of that statement is one to keep in mind. Kentucky has been in contact with Holland’s parents in recent months, but didn’t reach out directly until after the first Nike EYBL session. Meanwhile, other programs — namely Arkansas and UCLA — have been prioritizing Holland since last summer and view the five-star wing as a centerpiece of their respective recruiting classes.
Just short of a year later, Kentucky is entering the picture with some ground to make up.
What is Holland looking for in a school? A close relationship with the coaching staff, one he can trust to help him reach his dreams.
“What I’m looking for in a school is somewhere I can go play right away — well, not necessarily right away, but just somewhere I can fit in with the program,” he told KSR. “I’m looking to build those relationships with coaches so I can trust them to help me get to where I’m trying to go, get to my destination. I want to be a one-and-done and get to the league.
“Building a relationship with the coaches, that helps a lot because I can trust them, they can trust me. I can help them win, they can help me reach my goals.”
Kentucky has a shot, but those relationships will have to develop quickly. Getting Holland on campus isn’t a bad start.
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