College Basketball Star Arrested Days Before March Madness

Alabama’s March Madness run is getting an unwanted side plot.

Crimson Tide guard Aden Holloway was arrested Monday in Tuscaloosa on a marijuana possession charge just days before the NCAA tournament tips off, according to Tuscaloosa Police Department spokesperson Stephanie Taylor.

Taylor said West Alabama Narcotics Task Force agents searched Holloway’s residence Monday morning and found more than a pound of marijuana, along with paraphernalia and cash.

Holloway, 21, was booked on charges of first-degree possession of marijuana and failure to affix a tax stamp. Police records show he was taken to the Tuscaloosa County Jail at 9:48 a.m. local time and released about an hour later at 10:45 a.m. after posting a $5,000 bond.

The timing is brutal for Alabama as it prepares for the opening round of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. The Crimson Tide are scheduled to play Aden Holloway on Friday in Tampa, Florida.

Alabama has not announced whether Holloway will face team discipline ahead of the game.

Per a Tuscaloosa Police spokesperson on Aden Holloway: “Agents with the West Alabama Narcotics Task Force conducted a search of a residence in the 400 block of 30th Avenue East this morning. The agents recovered more than a pound of marijuana, paraphernalia and cash…..1/2

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) March 16, 2026

Holloway has been a key piece of the Tide’s 2025-26 season, averaging 16.8 points per game and ranking as the team’s second-leading scorer. Now, with the bracket set and the spotlight on, Alabama is dealing with a self-inflicted distraction at the worst possible moment.

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