Now that Tre Holloman has verbally committed to play his final season of eligibility for NC State, some Michigan State basketball fans now turn to thinking about what his lasting legacy will be in the green and white.
Will he be remembered fondly for his contributions with the Spartans during his three years in East Lansing, or be seen as a traitor who abandoned the program at a time when the roster is undergoing a significant overhaul?
Holloman shocked Spartan Nation on April Fool’s Day of all days, when news broke that he had entered his name in the NCAA Transfer Portal. He was in line to play a significant factor in the success of the 2025-26 season, likely returning to the starting lineup in which he was slated for 16 games this past season before the emergence of freshman phenom Jace Richardson.
In the 12 days between Holloman entering the transfer portal and his commitment to NC State, fans tried to sway him into staying in East Lansing with the hashtag #JiggyStay on social media, using his X account (formerly Twitter) handle of @jiggyTrawww. But some of the negative reactions from fans on X also attracted the ire of Tre’s mother, Crystal Flint. Not only did she engage in some back-and-forths with fans online, but she also penned a response to fans that was published by Spartan Illustrated.
Adding to the anger that some fans had about his decision to transfer, Holloman didn’t help his public image much by getting into a dust up at an East Lansing bar just last week.
Regardless of his performance on the court, Holloman has endeared himself to Michigan State fans by seemingly embodying the persona of a “Spartan Dawg” with his play and attitude on the court.
Nothing seemed to demonstrate his on-court attitude and toughness quite like the 2024 Big Ten Tournament game vs. Purdue when Tre went toe-to-toe with 7-foot-4 Zach Edey. That instant and the viral photo of Tre looking straight up at Edey proved that he wasn’t about to back down from anybody.
However, it was two moments in an 11-day stretch this season that will likely be what Spartan fans remember Holloman for the most.
On a Wednesday night in College Park, Md., Tre collected a short pass from big man Jaxon Kohler in the closing seconds of a tie ballgame. He took one dribble and let the ball fly from the far side of the Maryland logo before watching it splash into the basket and give the Spartans a crucial victory in what was at the time a very close Big Ten race.
What should have cemented his legacy as a fan favorite came in the regular-season finale against rival Michigan. With the game in hand as MSU led by 18 with 37 seconds left in the contest, Tom Izzo began subbing out his seniors one-by-one as is tradition, allowing them the chance to kiss the logo at half court. After Frankie Fidler kissed the top part of the Spartan helmet logo to avoid two Michigan players standing at the very middle of the logo, Holloman took action before it was Szymon Zapala’s turn. It should also be noted that both he and senior Jaden Akins can be seen on video asking the Michigan players to move even before Fidler approached half court.
Holloman walked right up to the two players and shoved them back while also verbally displaying his displeasure with their disrespectful actions. This led to a minor skirmish on the court, but since the Big Ten title was secured before that game even tipped off, all of the talk after the game was about Holloman protecting the tradition for the seniors.
Following the game as Izzo honored seniors Fidler, Zapala, and Akins, he took a moment to recognize Holloman for what he did. Izzo even broke with tradition by allowing Tre to kiss the logo during the post-game ceremony, something that hasn’t been done by an underclassman before. That moment turned out to be prophetic, as it was indeed Holloman’s last home game in the Breslin Center.
What are your thoughts? How will you look back on Tre Holloman’s time as a Spartan?