Ronald Holland commits to the Texas Longhorns
On3 Consensus 5-star power forward Ronald Holland is staying home for college.
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The 6-foot-7 skilled forward committed to the Texas Longhorns on Saturday morning over Arkansas and UCLA. Holland, the No. 9 overall prospect in the 2023 cycle, had made a number of official and unofficial visits since last spring. That included three visits to Texas since the first weekend in September.
Holland and family made an official visit to Texas the weekend of September 3rd. That official visit, and the message from Chris Beard and Rodney Terry, resonated with the top-ranked prospect in the Lone Star State.
“I loved the visit,” Holland told Inside Texas on September 29. “Texas made me feel like home, and it is home for me. I’m a Texas kid. Everything I’ve done, it’s been in Texas. Everything around me on the visit was Texas. When I went there, everything was crazy. Everyone over there, it has to work. Coach Beard said I’m a Texas dude. He has put guys in the pros, and everything they do is for the NBA level. The Moody arena is an NBA level arena. Everything over there was great.”
He followed that official visit up with two more unofficial visits in October. Holland’s final visit before making a decision was last Saturday for the Longhorns’ 90-60 exhibition win over Arkansas. He made the trip with his mother, and a number of Duncanville coaches.
The Duncanville High star had been considered a lean to Texas for a few weeks by Inside Texas prior to his Saturday announcement.
Holland on Texas
Holland talked Texas in a recent interview with On3.
“I saw that I can stay home and get this thing done,” Holland said. Everyone knows the Texas brand, and Coach Beard will let me go there and be me. I can do a great job of being me, and it’ll get me to the next level.”
Holland becomes the first commitment for the Longhorns in the 2023 class. Texas is in the mix for On3 Consensus 4-star guard/wing Andrej Stojakovic, who is set to announce Monday between Stanford, Texas and UCLA. The Longhorns are also in the hunt for On3 Consensus 5-star point guard A.J. Johnson and senior riser big man Cedric Lath.
Holland ranks as the No. 1 power forward in the 2023 cycle. Holland averaged 15.9 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.0 steals per game as a junior. His sophomore season was his breakout season for the Panthers averaging 13.8 points and 10.1 rebounds.
