Polarizing former Michigan State guard makes surprise Moneyball appearance

Tre Holloman is one of the most polarizing former Michigan State basketball players in the Tom Izzo era and that’s all due to the way he left the program before his senior year.

Holloman grinded for two years in the system before earning a sixth man-type role as a junior for the 2024-25 Big Ten champion Spartans and he was quickly rising up the boards as Michigan State fans’ favorite player. He was publicly defending teammates in physical altercations against rivals, he offered a tearful apology after the Elite Eight loss to Auburn, and he was becoming a team leader.

A senior year version of Holloman was expected to be special. Fans were ready.

And then he decided to trust Will Wade with his future, transferring to play for him at NC State. Leaving when he knew he’d have a much larger role for a national title contender hurt, but when he realized that he would be essentially playing the same role at NC State that he did as a junior at Michigan State, he had to feel instant regret.

Izzo even revealed that a former player had reached out and said that he felt like he had made a mistake by leaving Michigan State. Everyone kind of assumed that was Holloman.

He just made his Moneyball debut last weekend and now he’s back around the Michigan State program where he’s been lingering since the end of the 2025-26 college basketball season. This time, he’s a surprise participant at Moneyball.

Interesting to see him return for the annual Moneyball Pro-Am and potentially suit up for the first time in a couple of years since leaving Michigan State.

Carson Cooper, too, made an appearance at Moneyball on Tuesday after his Summer League schedule wrapped up in the championship game on Sunday night. He lost to Yaxel Lendeborg and the Golden State Warriors but stood out with 16 points on 7-of-8 shooting off the bench.

As for Holloman, he scored two Summer League points in five total minutes.

Tre Holloman looking to mend fences?

Over the years, there have been several players who have transferred out but have returned to Michigan State for Grind Week and just casual visits with Izzo and the team.

We’ve seen Chris Allen, Korie Lucious, and now apparently Holloman is option to return to hang out with his former teammates and get some shots up at Moneyball after a brief Summer League appearance that probably didn’t quite quench his thirst.

Holloman did enter the transfer portal after the season in hopes of getting granted a fifth year under the new NCAA “five-in-five” rule. Unfortunate for him, it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen.

It still pains me that he left the way he did, and I know I’m not alone. He’s probably back to mend fences between him, his teammates, and Izzo, and I’m sure everyone welcomed him back with open arms, but man, I can’t help but wonder what would have happened if he had never left. Michigan State could have been a Final Four team with him playing 25-plus minutes per game.

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This article was originally published on spartanavenue.com as Polarizing former Michigan State guard makes surprise Moneyball appearance.