March Madness is in full swing, with Cinderella No.9-seed, the Iowa Hawkeyes, earning a spot in the Elite 8 on Thursday night. The Alabama Crimson Tide looks for similar magic as they prepare to face top-seeded Michigan on Friday night. If Alabama is to pull off the upset, it will have to be without Aden Holloway.
On Friday morning, an Alabama judge allowed Holloway the ability to travel with the team. It was believed that it might open the door for the Crimson Tide's second-leading scorer to play against the Wolverines. Judge Joanne M. Jannik granted him the ability to travel to the United Center in Chicago for the Sweet 16 game.
That is despite “the Office of the District Attorney for Tuscaloosa indicated that [they] were opposed to this request to travel.”
Instead, the 6-foot-1 junior out of Charlotte, NC, is staying home, per ESPN.
Holloway was banned from school-related activities following his drug-related arrest earlier this month. The Alabama guard has therefore been banned from the Tuscaloosa campus.
Authorities executed a search warrant, in which they allegedly found over two pounds of marijuana in Holloway's apartment. He was charged with a Class C felony, intended “not for personal use.”
According to records obtained by ESPN, authorities claimed to have found evidence of “drug transactions” through the use of his cell phone. Holloway unequivocally denies every charge against him and is requesting a trial.
He is yet to play in the NCAA Tournament. Yet, the Crimson Tide offense has excelled in his absence. They dropped exactly 90 points in wins over Hofstra and Texas Tech.
But facing a Michigan frontline is a different story. The Wolverines are 9.5-point favorites.
