Arkansas basketball missed out on the services of five-star Ron Holland for the second time, as the No. 5 overall player in the 2023 class announced Wednesday his intentions to play for the G League Ignite.
The Ignite is a developmental team located in Henderson, Nevada. It includes elite players who are eligible for the NBA Draft as well as NBA and NBA G League veterans who serve as mentors to the team’s young talent. Holland visited the Ignite on May 23.
Holland was previously committed to the Texas Longhorns, who he signed with on Nov. 11, 2022. After former head coach Chris Beard was fired and time passed, Holland reconsidered his options and opened his recruitment back up on May 1.
Arkansas was a heavy contender for Holland the first time around in his recruitment. He chose the Longhorns over the Razorbacks and UCLA, but it is Arkansas that was understood to be the primary college focus the second time around.
The 6-foot-8, 185-pound forward from Duncanville High School in Duncanville, Texas, played with Arkansas standout freshman and soon-to-be NBA lottery pick Anthony Black in high school.
Holland is a talented scorer and defender and he won two gold medals with USA Basketball. He started six games at the FIBA U16 Americas in 2021 and averaged 19 points and 10.2 rebounds. Holland started all seven games at the FIBA U17 World Championships in 2022, when he averaged 11.1 points and 6.6 rebounds per game.
The five-star put his talent on display against the nation's best at the McDonald's All-American game and Nike Hoop Summit this spring. Holland recorded 11 points and six rebounds at the McDonald's All-American game and he had 15 points, nine rebounds and five assists at the Hoop Summit.
As a senior for Duncanville in 2022, Holland averaged 20.5 points and 10.1 rebounds while leading his team to No. 3 in ESPN’s national high school boys basketball rankings.
The 2022 Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Texas, Holland won a 6A state championship with Duncanville in 2021 and another in 2022, but that title was later stripped by the University Interscholastic League for the team’s use of an ineligible player.
A way-too-early 2024 NBA mock draft from Yahoo Sports projected Holland to be drafted No. 4 overall. ESPN projected him to go No. 6 overall back in February and NBADraft.net has him going No. 7 overall.
Arkansas still has just two signees in the 2023 class in four-star center Baye Fall — who was a five-star when he signed in November — and four-star guard Layden Blocker.
