Alabama Crimson Tide junior guard Aden Holloway is facing serious trouble just days before Alabama plays its NCAA Tournament first-round game against Hofstra in the Midwest Region.
Holloway faces felony drug charges following a traffic stop with University of Alabama police.
Alabama’s Aden Holloway Faces Marijuana Charge
Holloway, a junior from Charlotte, N.C., was arrested Monday morning, according to a report from 247Sports.
The report indicates that a spokesperson for the Tuscaloosa, Ala., police department told Bama247 that “agents with the West Alabama Narcotics Task Force conducted a search of a residence in the 400 block of 30th Avenue East on Monday morning.”
Agents at the scene reportedly recovered more than a pound of marijuana, drug paraphernalia, and cash. Holloway was charged with first-degree possession of marijuana and failure to affix a tax stamp.
NEWS: Alabama Guard Aden Holloway has been arrested and charged with first-degree possession of marijuana.
The news comes 1 day after the NCAA Tournament brackets were released, where the Crimson Tide will take on Hofstra Friday in Tampa. Holloway is Alabama’s 2nd leading… pic.twitter.com/D1WY7yybGk
— The Next Round (@NextRoundLive) March 16, 2026
On Monday morning, Holloway was transferred to Tuscaloosa County Jail with bond set at $5,000. The bond was met later that morning, and Holloway was released around 10:45 a.m. CT.
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Holloway’s situation places Alabama head coach Nate Oats in a difficult position. Oats discussed the matter on his “Hey Coach” radio show on Monday night. Mike Rodak, Alabama staff writer for Bama247, posted on X what Oats had to say.
Nate Oats on his “Hey Coach” radio show tonight on Aden Holloway: “Look, we’ve got standards in our program. We’ve got ways we’ve held our guys accountable. We try to keep everything in-house. Obviously some of the situations you can’t. This is one of those. Situation is a little…
— Mike Rodak (@mikerodak) March 16, 2026
“Look, we’ve got standards in our program,” Oats said. “We’ve got ways we’ve held our guys accountable. We try to keep everything in-house. Obviously some of the situations you can’t. This is one of those. Situation is a little different when we found out what was going on this morning — I found out this morning.
“I guess it all went down this morning,” Oats said. “We had to suspend him pending the investigation by the UA office of student conduct. We’re disappointed in his behavior. With that said, we still love him. He’s still our guy. We’re going to get him the help that he needs. … We’re preparing to play without him this weekend.”
A statement released later Monday by the University of Alabama indicated that Holloway had been removed from campus pending further investigation.
The statement from the University of Alabama read, “The University is aware of the allegations and is working to gather more information. The student has been removed from campus pending further information by the UA Office of Student Conduct.”
Alabama has released a statement on Aden Holloway, saying he’s been “removed from campus pending further investigation.” pic.twitter.com/Q2qcEOn8DY
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) March 16, 2026
In the 2025-26 regular season, Holloway is averaging 16.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game. He is shooting 48.1% from the floor and 43.8% from behind the 3-point arc. He scored 18 points in Alabama’s 80-79 loss to Ole Miss in the SEC Tournament.
Alabama plays Hofstra in Tampa, Fla., on Friday. Holloway’s status for that game — and for the NCAA Tournament overall — remains uncertain. Should he be unavailable, Oats will have to look to his bench for a replacement.
Holloway has played in 28 games this season for Alabama, following 35 games in his freshman season and 38 games in his sophomore year.
