Ranking the Contenders: Five-star Ronald Holland
Five-star wing Ronald Holland has one official visit in the rear-view mirror and one on the calendar for next month. There’s no reason to believe the Texas-based star is approaching a commitment, but his recruitment is certainly starting to take shape.
Because of that, there’s no better time to take a snapshot of where Holland stands and rank the contenders to land his letter of intent. Rivals.com National Recruiting Analyst Rob Cassidy does just that below.
*****
More: Five-star Trentyn Flowers evaluating all options
2022 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2023 Rankings: Rivals150
2024 Rankings: Top 40
*****
1. UCLA
The clear front-runner as things stand, UCLA has prioritized Holland in a way that no other team has. Holland himself says the coaching staff is in most frequent contact by a long shot and feels most comfortable with the Bruins' staff.
Assistant coach Darren Savino has been a mainstay at Holland’s games over the last year and is set to get the five-star wing on campus on May 12 for an official visit. Should things go well during Holland’s trip to Los Angeles, the Bruins’ standing as the frontrunner will be galvanized. He’ll likely wait to make a verbal commitment, but the opportunity for head coach Mick Cronin to extend his lead in the Holland sweepstakes is clear.
*****
2. ARKANSAS
It’s hard to rule Eric Mussleman out of anyone’s recruitment these days, so his pursuit of Holland is worthy of serious attention. Musselman has prioritized the five-star wing and has made a swift and hard push to insert Arkansas into the thick of things this month. There’s still some work to do, especially when it comes to getting Holland on campus for an official visit.
That said, the Razorbacks are red hot and have Holland’s high school teammate Anthony Black already in the fold. There’s also the fact that Fayetteville sits just six hours away from Holland’s Dallas-area home, which isn’t exactly right down the road but seems like a short trip when you consider some of his other options.
*****
3. KENTUCKY
The Wildcats haven’t offered yet, but could jump to the No. 1 or No. 2 spot on this list if they do. According to Holland, UK coaches are in touch with his family and want to bring him to campus before making things official with an offer.
Holland says Kentucky is currently trying to hammer out a visit date through conversations with his mother, but nothing has been set in stone. There’s confirmed mutual interest between the parties here, but the Wildcats should be seen as a semi-peripheral option until an offer materializes.
*****
4. MEMPHIS
There was a time that Memphis felt like the favorite, but things seemed to have cooled in recent weeks. Add in the fact that the Tigers now have an NCAA investigation looming, and it feels like Penny Hardaway and company might have an uphill battle on their hands.
Holland took an official visit to Memphis back in October, but things seemed to have fizzled a bit in the months since. The Tigers need to be taken seriously, but shouldn’t be seen as a favorite as things stand now.
*****
5. OREGON
Holland says he is in the process of setting up an official visit to Oregon, so it’s impossible to rule the Ducks out as an option. That said, Dana Altman and company have a fight on their hands. If a visit does, indeed, take place and goes well, the Ducks could see some upward mobility.
Still, it’s difficult to imagine them climbing to the top of this list. If Holland is going to land in the Pac-12, it will likely be at UCLA.
*****
6. HOUSTON
It’s easy to understand why Holland is interested in an in-state program with a load of momentum. The Duncanville (Texas) High School star is impressed with Kelvin Sampson and his staff. The fact that the Cougars have stacked 60 wins over the last two seasons and are coming off two deep runs in the NCAA tournament is alluring.
He plans to take an official visit this summer, but is yet to set a date and says he hasn’t been in particularly close contact with the Cougars’ staff in recent weeks. Houston should not be ruled as a serious option and could move up this list quickly if talks intensify.