2021 F DaRon Holmes II Talks Notre Dame Offer, Irish Connection

There’s excitement on both sides following Notre Dame’s offer to DaRon Holmes II on Thursday.

“I talked with the head coach and he offered,” said the 2021 standout who could play either small forward or power forward.

“My dad went there, but that’s not the reason. They said they feel they have a lot to offer both academically and on the court. They feel like I’d be a great fit.”

Earlier this spring, the 6-foot-8, 195-pounder from Arizona announced he’d be playing his final season at Montverde Academy, a basketball powerhouse in Florida.

“It was pretty emotional because my dad went there, so it’s a big deal,” he continued about the Notre Dame offer.

“I know it’s a really prestigious school, especially academically, which is really good. I’ve watched them during the ACC and I like the way they play, their style of play. Great team, great coaching, just a great program in general.”

Holmes’ father played high school basketball at Chicago’s Mount Carmel with guys like Antoine Walker and Donovan McNabb.

“He had a couple offers to D-II schools and a couple low D-Is, but he didn’t play basketball in college,” Holmes said of his father. “He went to Notre Dame for academics.”

Holmes acknowledged that his father having attended Notre Dame could impact his final decision.

“That’s a huge part, I feel like not only to him, but also to me,” he said. “It’s great. We’re all thankful.”

He’s seen the Notre Dame football squad play in a bowl game, but has never been to the campus in South Bend.

“I’ve always wanted to,” he said before adding that he plans to now.

“Just watching the style of play one more time and also being able to see the campus for myself to see how it is.”

Holmes also has offers from schools like Arizona, Arizona State, Cal, LSU, Marquette, Ole Miss, Texas Tech, UCLA, USC, Vanderbilt and Wake Forest.

“There are a couple that I’m also looking into, but this is just great because my dad went there and he’s always talked about it when I was younger, so that’s a big deal.”