By JAMES MADDEN & SAM LANCE
NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. — Class of 2026 four-star shooting guard Cameron Holmes was a crucial part of a star-studded Arizona Unity team this summer, playing alongside Miles Sadler and Brandon McCoy Jr. In 19 games, Holmes averaged 11.9 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists, and he was consistent shooting the ball, finishing at 47.4% from the field.
A member of the class of 2026, the 6-foot-5 Millennium (AZ) guard is now entering the back end of his recruitment process after a busy summer.
“Now I’m a senior,” Holmes told ZAGSBLOG. “I get to set up some official visits, and the time has finally come for me to level down my schools and get to committing. It’s been a fun summer. It’s been crazy.”
Right now, Holmes still has just one official visit set in stone: Oregon on Sept. 20. He’ll be looking to take more trips this fall. Other schools involved include Arizona, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas, UCLA, Virginia and more.
Holmes broke down some of the biggest players in his recruitment to ZAGSBLOG:
Arizona: “They’re great. He’s coming out to see me tomorrow, coach TJ [Benson]. I hope coach [Tommy] Lloyd’s doing well. I know he just won a gold medal, but they’re coming to see me soon. Again, Arizona’s a great school, great coaching staff, great environment. I always love to be in Arizona.”
Oregon: “It’s a great coaching staff, great environment. They’ve always believed in me. So, I definitely want to go out there and see the campus myself.”
Texas: “They just started recruiting me, just started picking me up. Sean Miller. They believe in me as well. When I got the offer, I was kind of surprised but he always recruited my brother, so me and him have a great connection. Coach Ulric [Maligi], we have a great connection as well. The whole coaching staff loves me. They all text me, tap in with me. Great team.”
UCLA: “It was unofficial. I just went to go see the practice. I talked to coach [Mick] Cronin. Again, a great coach who believes in me. He thinks my game is just great. It’s been great, though. Coach Cronin, growing up he’s always been one of my favorite coaches. UCLA’s always been a great team and I’ve always loved it. Even when Lonzo [Ball] was there. I’ve always loved UCLA, so it was great to see it in person.”
On practice: “They really care about their defense. Coach Cronin is usually big on the defensive end. They take that part seriously and they trust their players. They trust every single one of their players. They love their big men. Most of the offense goes through their big men, penetrate and kick.”
Previously, Holmes broke down a few other programs:
North Carolina: “[Hubert Davis] is a great coach. He’s more of the one that’s down-to-earth. He’ll tell you what you need to hear and he’ll tell you it in a good way. But I love North Carolina. I’ve always been a fan of North Carolina since I was young, seeing their championship runs and all their March Madness runs. Yeah, it’s just a great school.”
Virginia: “[Ryan Odom] started recruiting me at VCU. It wasn’t like heavily, I wasn’t heavily recruited by them, but he told me they have a lot of interest in me. Ever since, I’ve just built my relationship with them. It’s a strong relationship. But again, another great school, another great coaching staff.”
At Peach Jam, ZAGSBLOG spotted Arizona’s Tommy Lloyd, North Carolina’s Hubert Davis, Oklahoma’s Porter Moser (three times), Texas’ Sean Miller, and assistants from Oregon, UCLA and USC at Holmes’ games.
The AAU circuit wasn’t the only place Holmes shined during the summer of 2025. He participated in the NBA Top 100 camp, where he was able to speak with and learn from NBA stars like Kyrie Irving, Taj Gibson and Wesley Matthews.
“We got to listen to Kyrie (Irving) talk, more just about living your life,” Holmes said. “Not everything surrounds basketball. You always have to keep your mental health up. Hearing from him meant a lot to me, because Kyrie’s been my favorite player growing up.”
Holmes was also selected to compete in Team USA U19 training camp. Although he didn’t make the final roster, it was still a great experience.
“I felt like I had a great showing out there,” Holmes said. “I showed the coaches, I showed scouts what I can really do with my passing, playmaking ability and just my scoring. I just tried to go out there and do as much as I could… One thing [I learned] is just to always be a great teammate, 100% of the time. You can’t be a great teammate 90% of the time, 85% of the time and expect to win games. Out there it’s the best of the best talent, you’re going up against talent all across the world. Those guys bring it, man. They bring the energy.”
The Holmes family has received some great news recently. Cameron’s older brother, Denver Nuggets forward DaRon Holmes II, made his return to the court during the NBA Summer League after previously being out for an extended period with a torn achilles. It was a big moment for the family.
“It means a lot,” Cameron said. “He’s been through a lot. He’s just constantly working, just trying to get back to that first step. It takes a while after tearing something in your body. He’s doing great though, and I love to see him on the court.”
Entering his final season of high school, Holmes is focused on accomplishing a feat he is yet to accomplish: winning a state championship. The shooting guard is rated as a five-star recruit and is the No. 24 overall recruit in the class of 2026, according to 247Sports.
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