Is Tre Holloman Having Similar Arc to Former MSU Star?
Ever since Tom Izzo entered junior guard Tre Holloman into the Michigan State starting lineup, the Spartans have not lost a game.
Holloman’s tenacious defense and scoring ability have helped MSU rise to the top of college basketball. It has been a few down seasons in East Lansing, but 2025 has been a return to the MSU basketball we have grown accustomed to.
Holloman is in his third year as a Spartan, often drawing comparisons to a former MSU great. It’s because of more than just the No. 5 and the headband, we promise.
Cassius Winston spent four legendary seasons in East Lansing, taking MSU to the Final Four in 2019 and leading the Spartans as the hottest team in the country in 2020 before COVID-19 shut down the NCAA Tournament.
Winston will always be well-loved among Spartan Fans, and it is unfair to any players that come after him. However, Holloman is having a career arc similar to what Winston had when he was at MSU.
Winston did not break out until his sophomore season, when he connected on nearly half of his three-pointers. He shot 38 percent from 3 the season before on lower volume.
While not to the same degree, Holloman’s efficiency in shooting the three-ball improved tremendously. He came to East Lansing without a reliable jump shot and shot 42 percent from beyond the arc in his second season.
Now, the Spartans are aiming to win the Big Ten for the first time since Winston’s final year. Holloman has been a major part of that.
Once Izzo turned to Winston back in 2017, the Spartans bounced back from a bad season prior and had one of the best records in college basketball.
Starting to see the trend?
The main argument against Holloman following a Winston-like arc is that Holloman is not the main distributor and scoring option like Winston was. Jeremy Fears Jr. runs the show at point guard, while Jaden Akins is the team’s leading scorer (but really, the Spartans spread the scoring around).
It is not a one-to-one comparison. Obviously, Holloman won’t reach the heights Winston did at MSU.
But no one will mind if the team brings home Izzo’s second national championship.
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