A five-star college basketball recruit is unexpectedly available. Will Kentucky make a play?

While the NCAA transfer portal remains the hub for most offseason activity in men’s college basketball, several top high school recruits have made a splash this spring by requesting releases from their national letters of intent.

In this regard, Friday afternoon’s news that five-star power forward Ron Holland is requesting out of his NLI with Texas is a haymaker.

Holland announced the stunning news on social media.

The 6-foot-8 forward picked Texas last November from a final group of schools that also included Arkansas and UCLA.

But Holland was also a top target for several other big-name programs, including the Kentucky Wildcats. UK offered a scholarship to Holland in June, shortly after he made an official visit to Lexington.

Holland played high school basketball at Duncanville (Texas) High School.

His initial commitment to and signing with Texas came prior to a head coaching change for the Longhorns: Chris Beard was dismissed in January after his December arrest on a felony domestic violence charge.

Assistant coach Rodney Terry assumed the head-coaching responsibilities for the rest of the season and helped guide the Longhorns to an Elite Eight appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

Terry was named the permanent head coach at Texas shortly after the Longhorns’ season ended.

Holland was asked about his intention to still attend Texas during McDonald’s All-American Game media day in late March and said he would stay committed to the school along with fellow 2023 Texas signee A.J. Johnson.

Since then, things have changed, to say the least.

Earlier this month, Johnson decommitted from Texas and instead signed a professional contract with the Illawarra Hawks of the National Basketball League in Australia.

Now, Holland appears to likely be gone as well, although he will still consider Texas when going through the recruiting process again.

Holland is ranked as the fourth overall player in the 2023 recruiting class, according to the 247Sports Composite.

During his initial college recruitment, Holland took visits to Arkansas, Kentucky, Memphis, Texas and UCLA. He also considered the NBA G-League Ignite professional pathway.

Matt McKay Jr. — the founder of the Pro Insight basketball website and someone with scouting experience in two NBA front offices — told the Herald-Leader in September that Holland’s best attribute is how he impacts winning both offensively and defensively.

“Ron’s combination approach, mentality, care factor, motor, toughness and all-around versatility helps him leave a positive imprint all over the place,” McKay said. “His blend of very tangible, as well as intangible value, adds project to scale nicely as he moves up levels.”

Holland replaces former Duke signee Mackenzie Mgbako as the top available class of 2023 recruit, although you can expect a bevy of top college programs, as well as professional basketball pathways, to try and court the frontcourt star.

A player with positional size and a strong motor, Holland is also an accomplished player at the international level with Team USA.

Holland won a gold medal with the United States at the FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup, an event that Kentucky head coach John Calipari watched in person in Spain.

Last May, Holland and his Drive Nation travel basketball team stopped in Louisville as part of the Nike EYBL circuit.

“I looked at their résumés, how many dudes they’ve got in the NBA,” Holland said last May when asked about his process of selecting a college. “I look for player development. I want to win a national championship, but at the same time I want to get ready so I can improve my game when I go to the (NBA).”

“(That) they can help me reach my goal and reach my dreams,” Holland added. “That’s all I’m looking for in a program.”

Kentucky’s current projected frontcourt for the 2023-24 season could use a player like Holland.

Aaron Bradshaw, Ugonna Onyenso and Lance Ware represent the only three players that UK can count on for next season. The Wildcats are putting on the full-court press to land former Michigan center Hunter Dickinson via the NCAA transfer portal, and it’s unclear whether or not star big man Oscar Tshiebwe will return for a third and final season in Lexington.

Bradshaw is expecting to be the “four” next season at Kentucky, while Holland projects as a mismatch “four” at the college level.