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The Alabama men’s basketball team will be without star player Aden Holloway as it opens the NCAA tournament against Hofstra on Friday after the star guard was arrested on felony drug charges earlier this week.
Head coach Nate Oats said the team was “preparing to play without” Holloway after the 21-year-old student was arrested Monday morning on a first-degree Class C felony charge of possession of marijuana, not for personal use, and failure to affix a tax stamp.
Guard Aden Holloway of the Alabama Crimson Tide speaks to 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 to hold our guys accountable. And we try to keep everything in-house, obviously in some situations you can’t do that, and this is one of them,” 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 agents with the West Alabama Narcotics Task Force searched a residence near the Alabama campus.
Tuscaloosa police spokeswoman Stephanie Taylor told The Associated Press that during the search, law enforcement “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)
ALABAMA BASKETBALL STAR ARRESTED ON MARIJUANA CHARGE DAYS BEFORE MARCH MADNESS TIPOFF
“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 AU Office of Student Conduct.”
If convicted, Holloway faces 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 in his behavior. But that being said, we still love him, he’s still our guy,” 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’ve had a great practice, we’re getting ready to play without him this weekend.”
Aden Holloway of the Alabama Crimson Tide looks on during the Tennessee Volunteers game at Thompson-Boling Arena on February 28, 2026 in Knoxville. (Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images)
As the No. 4 seed, Alabama opens its tournament Friday against Hofstra.
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