DALLAS — Wednesday, the Detroit Pistons selected Ron Holland with the fifth pick in the NBA Draft.
Holland is a familiar face to many North Texans. The 18-year-old is originally from Duncanville, Texas. He played in high school for the Duncanville Panthers, where he helped win the school three consecutive Texas Class 6A state championships.
In his final season with the Panthers, Holland averaged 20.3 points and 10.1 rebounds. The team had a 29-1 record. He was selected as a McDonald's All-American in 2023 and played for Team USA in the Nike Hoops Summit.
Holland was a five-star recruit out of high school with offers from Texas, Arkansas, Kansas, Memphis, Kentucky and others.
Holland was initially committed to Texas but ended up signing with the G League Ignite, the NBA's development team for young talent out of high school. On the Ignite, he averaged 20.6 points per game and 2.5 steals playing against grown men in the NBA G League.
Now, Holland, a 6'8" forward, is headed to Motor City to play for the Pistons. This past season, the Pistons finished as the last place team in the entire NBA with a 14-68 record.
