Alabama ‘preparing to play’ NCAA tournament without star guard Aden Holloway after felony drug arrest
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The Alabama men’s basketball team will be without star player Aden Holloway when they open the NCAA Tournament against Hofstra on Friday after the star guard was arrested on a felony drug charge earlier this week.
Head coach Nate Oats said the team is “preparing to play without” Holloway after the 21-year-old sophomore was arrested Monday morning on a class C first-degree felony charge of possession of marijuana, not for personal use, and failure to affix a tax stamp.
Alabama Crimson Tide guard Aden Holloway speaks with a referee during the Georgia Bulldogs game on March 3, 2026, at Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, Georgia. (Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire)
“We have standards in our program and we have ways that we’ve held our guys accountable. And we try to keep everything in-house, obviously some of the situations you can’t, and this is one of those,” Oats said on his radio show Monday, via ESPN.
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“We found out what was going on this morning, I found out this morning. I guess it all happened this morning. And we had to put it on hold pending the investigation.”
Holloway, who is in his second season with the Crimson Tide and is second on the team in scoring with an average of 16.8 points per game, was arrested after West Alabama Narcotics Task Force agents searched a residence near the Alabama campus.
Tuscaloosa police spokeswoman Stephanie Taylor told The News that during the search, authorities “recovered more than a pound of marijuana, paraphernalia and cash.”
Aden Holloway of the Alabama Crimson Tide reacts during the Ole Miss Rebels game in the SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament at Bridgestone Arena on March 13, 2026, in Nashville, Tennessee. (Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images)
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“The University is aware of the allegations and is working to gather more information,” the school said in a statement. “The student has been removed from campus pending further investigation by the UA Office of Student Conduct.”
If convicted, Holloway could face up to 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $15,000 for the possession charge alone.
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“We’re certainly disappointed by his behavior. But that being said, we still love him, he’s still our man,” Oats continued Monday. “We’re helping him get the help he needs and we’re going to continue to help him in any way we can. But as far as our team goes, I think we had a great practice, we’re getting ready to play without him this weekend.”
Alabama Crimson Tide’s Aden Holloway watches during the Tennessee Volunteers game at Thompson-Boling Arena on Feb. 28, 2026, in Knoxville. (Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images)
As the No. 4 seed, Alabama opens its tournament Friday against Hofstra.
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The News contributed to this report.
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