Alabama Men’s Basketball Embroiled in Another Controversy Ahead of March Madness

On Monday, Alabama men’s basketball player Aden Holloway was arrested on felony drug charges for possession of marijuana. 

After being booked in Tuscaloosa County Jail on Monday morning and released on $5,000 bond, he has been removed from campus, according to the university. Alabama men’s basketball coach Nate Oats said the program has suspended the star, who is currently the Crimson Tide’s No. 2 scorer, and is preparing to play without him.

Holloway’s arrest isn’t the first of a high-profile men’s basketball player over the last few years—especially one that could impact Alabama’s chances in March. 

In January 2023, then-Alabama basketball player Darius Miles was arrested and charged with capital murder of 23-year-old Jamea Jonae Harris. At first, the program said Miles would miss the rest of the season with an injury. Then, after he was arrested, Alabama scrubbed Miles’s bio from the team website. The university later stated Miles had been “removed from campus” and was no longer part of the men’s basketball team.

Subsequent testimony revealed that star freshman player Brandon Miller had brought Miles the gun that he allegedly used to shoot Harris—though the gun was Miles’s, not Miller’s. Miller was not arrested, however, and the program continued to allow him to play. 

“We knew about that,” Alabama coach Nate Oats said at the time. “Can’t control everything everybody does outside of practice. Nobody knew that was going to happen. College kids are out. Brandon hasn’t been in any type of trouble, nor is he in any type of trouble in this case. Just in the wrong spot at the wrong time.”

The comments were heavily criticized as insensitive; so was the decision to allow Miller to continue to play. Oats later released a statement saying, “in no way did I intend to downplay the seriousness of the situation of the tragedy that night.”

Miller played throughout the NCAA tournament, though Alabama underperformed as the No. 1 overall seed losing in the Sweet 16 to San Diego State. Miller, who now plays for the Charlotte Hornets, was never charged with a crime.

There are, however, important differences between the situation involving Miller and Holloway. 

Though allegedly involved in a murder case, Miller was never formally charged with a crime; Holloway has been charged with two. Holloway has not been charged with violent crimes;  he’s charged with possession of marijuana and failing to affix a tax stamp.

Alabama has also agreed to suspend him from the team pending the investigation, whereas they allowed Miller to play through the season and the NCAA tournament.

Finally, for the Crimson Tide, the expectations aren’t quite as high as they were in 2023. Alabama is a No. 4 seed—and will take on No. 13 Hofstra on Friday afternoon.