Alabama basketball is facing adversity ahead of the NCAA Tournament. Star shooting guard Aden Holloway was arrested on a charge of first degree possession of marijuana and failure to affix a tax stamp, AL.com’s Nick Kelly first reported Monday.
According to a statement that a Tuscaloosa police spokesperson provided AL.com, agents in the West Alabama Narcotics Task Force conducted a search of his residence and found more than a pound of marijuana, paraphernalia and cash.
Both the marijuana possession and failure to affix a tax stamp charges are felonies in the state of Alabama.
Holloway is one of the best players in the SEC, averaging 16.8 points on 48.1% shooting from the field and 43.8% from three-point range. He’s made 74 three-point attempts this season despite missing three games due to injury.
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The junior shooting guard is also averaging 3.8 assists and 2.8 rebounds per game. Holloway has scored 20-plus points in 10 games this season. Between Holloway and point guard Labaron Philon, Alabama boasts one of the nation’s best backcourts.
Alabama head coach Nate Oats has not yet offered a statement on the arrest or on whether Holloway will be suspended when the Crimson Tide begin play at the NCAA Tournament.
The Crimson Tide landed as a four-seed in the Midwest Region after posting a 23-9 (12-6 SEC) record to this point in the season. Alabama will face off against 13-seed Hofstra in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament before facing either five-seed Texas Tech or 12-seed Akron in the Round of 32.
Tennessee is in the same region as Alabama. If both teams made a run to the Elite Eight then they would face off with a spot in the Final Four on the line.
Alabama opens up play at the NCAA Tournament on Friday afternoon when they face Hofstra. Tipoff is at 3:15 p.m. ET.
Follow more: SEC schedule
