For the first time since Alabama's SEC Tournament exit last March, Aden Holloway is set to suit up for the Crimson Tide.
According to Jon Rothstein, Alabama coach Nate Oats said Holloway will make his 2026-27 season debut, and is expected to receive "starter minutes" against Oakland. Alabama and Oakland are scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. ET tip-off inside Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Holloway, who was arrested last March ahead of the men's NCAA tournament for possession of marijuana and failure to affix a tax stamp, has missed the Crimson Tide's first two games of the season against Sam Houston and Arkansas State as part of his five-game
suspension.
The 6-foot-1 guard was reinstated into the program on Oct. 6, which has since led Oats to describe Holloway as "changed" and an unexpected leader on the team.
His reinstatement came after the completion of a second-chance program following his arrest, after his charges were dismissed and after he had met the necessary requirements to rejoin the program. His charge for first-degree marijuana was dismissed, per court documents obtained by The Tuscaloosa News — part of the USA TODAY Network — on Sept. 28.
His five-game suspension, which was handed out by Alabama, also included the program's three exhibition games against Furman, Ole Miss and Auburn.
"He's done a great job. He's applied himself really consistently over the past couple months doing all the stuff, all the work he's had to do to get back on the team, and, you know, have the charges dropped against him and, you know, he'll be back in the program," Oats said of Holloway after Alabama's exhibition win over Furman.
"He's back right now and after the five-game suspension, which started tonight, which we all said was gonna happen, he'll be back as a full member of the team and I'd just like to kind of get it over with as quick as we can and get him back on the floor because he's done an outstanding job doing everything that's been asked of him and getting to where he's at right now."
Last season for the Crimson Tide, Holloway shot over 48% from the field and averaged 16.8 points and 3.8 assists per game.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Aden Holloway to play for Alabama basketball for first time since marijuana arrest
