How Michigan State transfer point guard Tre Holloman will impact winning at NC State

By Noah Fleischman

It didn’t take long for St. Paul (Minn.) Cretin-Derham Hall coach Jerry Kline Jr. to notice it. His freshman point guard had something different about him. Yes, he could score, but the 15-year-old was a floor general. One that knew what pass to make and when, while he also possessed the leadership traits of a veteran playmaker. 

Tre Holloman was a unique figure. And Kline, a veteran basketball coach in the basketball-rich Minneapolis area wasn’t worried about Holloman’s age, he was destined to be a team captain. Sure enough, the emerging star earned the title as a sophomore and never looked back. 

“He just understands the game, but he understands his teammates,” Kline said in a recent phone interview as he reflected on his former star. “He knows their strengths and weaknesses. I didn’t care how old he was, he needed to be captain. … He just found ways to execute, found ways to get things done.”

Now as Holloman prepares for his final year of college basketball, he will be tasked with leading NC State’s squad. The Michigan State transfer committed to Wolfpack coach Will Wade on Saturday during his official visit before he made his decision public on Sunday afternoon. 

If looking for a key leader to run the show in his first year as the Pack’s head coach was the reason why NC State went after Holloman — who was also pursued by Baylor, UNC and Villanova — then it seems he was a home-run addition. 

Kline, who has won more than 500 games as a high school head coach, remembers the game-winners that Holloman hit during his four-year starting career, but those aren’t what stick out when he thinks of the point guard. Neither are the Minnesota state championship game appearances that Holloman helped pull the strings to reach. 

Instead, it’s the moments that Holloman’s leadership came shining through — despite having a big role as a youthful basketball player. 

Like the time during his sophomore year, the first-time captain wasn’t shooting the ball well. But instead of panicking, thinking he had to do it all by himself, Holloman looked to a senior teammate. Cretin-Derham Hall ended up winning the game, and Holloman was beaming. It didn’t matter that the eventual all-time leading scorer in Raiders’ program history had an off night. He seemed more jubilant than ever. 

And that moment, albeit small looking back on it now, didn’t take Kline by surprise. That’s who Holloman was — and who he remains to this day. 

“The belief he has in his teammates is pretty neat,” Kline said. “If you asked him, I don’t think it’s about the points. It’s about the relationships, about leading and about the team. That’s what I admire about him so much.”

Holloman, who is coming off a career-best campaign at Michigan State during which he averaged 9.1 points, 3.7 assists and 1.9 rebounds per game, hasn’t changed since. The rising senior has leadership traits that are tough to see past, and Hall of Fame MSU coach Tom Izzo was able to identify those this past offseason. 

That led to Holloman being named one of the Spartans’ two main captains this past season. And it didn’t come through a vote by the team, like usual. Instead, Izzo felt Holloman deserved the title for his third season in East Lansing. 

“For some reason, this summer I said Tre is going to be a captain,” Izzo said after Holloman scored 14 points to help the Spartans past New Mexico in the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 on March 23. “Then I didn’t start him, then I did start him. He’s a starter, he’s just a sixth starter. He’s as valuable to us in a lot of ways.”

Holloman’s role with the Spartans fluctuated as star freshman Jase Richardson emerged, so the veteran became Michigan State’s sixth man off the bench. It was a move that ended up benefitting him in the long run as his scoring production increased, including a season-best 20 points in a rivalry win over Michigan on March 9. 

The Minneapolis native’s ability to put the team ahead of his own priorities seemed to be pivotal during the Spartans’ run to the Elite Eight this past season. In the end, it’s exactly who Holloman is as a player. 

“Behind the scenes, he’s always there,” Kline said. “He’s looking to work on his craft. He will come early, he will stay late. He has what it is. It might not be 27 points, 17 rebounds, 5 assists, but he just figures out what his unit needs, whether it’s the first unit or second unit. He just finds a way to excel. He’s a coach’s dream, he really is.”

Holloman projects to be NC State’s starting point guard on opening night in November. There’s plenty of time before then, and he will likely become a key leader inside the Wolfpack’s locker room at the Dail Basketball Center. 

Getting others involved — both on and off the court — is what drives Holloman as a point guard, who leads by playing with his heart on the court. That doesn’t seem to be changing anytime soon.

“He just finds ways to get it done,” Kline said. “If you love passion, you’re going to love Tre Holloman. He loves to get his teammates and fans involved. It’s real. It’s authentic. And the kid is just a winner.”