Alabama's Aden Holloway Gets His Charges Dismissed
Aden Holloway's marijuana possession charges are dismissed, according to court records, which means he's finished the second-chance program he entered in June. That clears the last legal hurdle between the guard and a return to Alabama basketball. Whether he actually plays is the next question.
Key takeaways
The charges were dismissed after he completed community service, paid fines and passed his screenings.
He's now eligible to rejoin the team, which began official practice last week.
Nate Oats hasn't said anything new publicly since April.
Holloway was arrested March 16 and charged with first-degree possession of marijuana and failure to affix a tax stamp. Police reportedly found about 2.1 pounds in his apartment. Oats suspended him that same day.
He missed the Tampa wins over Hofstra and Texas Tech. The Tide then lost in the Sweet 16 without him. His campus ban was reversed April 3, but his future stayed unclear for months.
What the program actually required
Once a plea agreement was in place, Holloway entered the second-chance program in early June. It came with 50 hours of community service, a $1,300 payment and random drug and alcohol screenings. He also wrote an apology letter, and one line stood out: "it was entirely wrong of me to have it in my possession."
First-time offenders who finish the program get the case dismissed. That's what happened here, roughly four months later.
Why Alabama cares
Holloway was the team's second-leading scorer last season at 16.8 points a game. He shot 43.8% from three, the best mark on the roster, and made the All-SEC Third Team. Alabama can't replace that kind of shooting by committee.
He also practiced with the team over the summer, so this isn't a cold restart. Still, the program's own words matter here. Oats's last public comment on Holloway came in April, and back in June, athletic director Greg Byrne called talk of a return "very premature."
My Take
I'd be stunned if Holloway isn't in the rotation by the opener. He did what the court asked, and Oats reportedly held a scholarship for him the whole time. You don't do that for a guy you're planning to move on from.
But I want to hear it from Oats himself. A dismissed case answers the legal question, and it doesn't answer the team-rules question. My prediction: he's back, he plays real minutes early, and he's starting by January.