E130 BH Alabama Sweet 16 Hopes up in smoke #rolltide #bamahoops #marchmadness #alabamabasketball

E130 BH Alabama Sweet 16 Hopes up in smoke #rolltide #bamahoops #marchmadness #alabamabasketball Alabama is the 4 seed in the Midwest Region with first game on Friday in Tampa vs Hofstra. In a sad and disappointing development, Aden Holloway was arrested for felony possession of Marijuana. Have Bama’s Sweet 16 hopes gone up in smoke with this arrest? March Madness is here. Alabama plays Hofstra on Friday in Tampa. Aden Holloway (Alabama’s 2nd leading score on the team) got arrested on felony possession charges. The 21-year-old Holloway has also been removed from campus after the arrest, the university announced, in addition to his current status with the Alabama basketball team. Pete Thamel posted on his social media that Holloway “is not going to be with the team as the UA Office of Student Conduct investigates his case. He’ll be off the team until he goes through the school’s investigation process.” To me, Holloway will not play on Friday and will not play with the team for the rest of the 2026 season. That is a big blow to the team to lose its 2nd leading scorer. The team’s sweet 16 hopes have gone up in smoke. Or have they? Players like Latrell Wrightsell, Houston Mallette, Taylor Bol Bowen, and Jalil Bethea have the opportunity to step up and contribute more. London Jemison and Amari Allen will have to contribute more to pick up the slack. It will hurt Bama and will make it harder for Alabama to beat Texas Tech in the round of 32 and to get to the sweet 16. And it will make them more likely to be upset by Hofstra in the first round. It will be a real letdown if Alabama cannot be Hofstra without Holloway, but Holloway was having a really good year and a major force on the offensive end for Alabama. His defensive contributions were not great. We should be a better defensive team and better rebounding team without him, but should be less potent on offense without him. Nate Oates has his work cut out for him. In a season where the injury bug has kept players out of the lineup for stretches of the season, to lose a key player to this situation hurts. Next man up Alabama! Those players healthy and still in good standing needs to step up, pick up the slack, and show that Alabama can win big games without Holloway. My confidence in Alabama reaching the sweet 16 is diminished, but I still think Alabama should beat Hofstra. But if we play TX Tech in the round of 32, that game will be a toss-up and Bama is primed to lose now. Prove me wrong Bama. Show me that you have the skills and the toughness to get the 2nd weekend of the tournament. I will be pulling for the Tide, but certainly much less confident in this team’s ability to get to the Sweet 16. And there are many questions that the players must answer with their play with Holloway likely out for the tournament.