The Alabama Crimson Tide has got out to a 2-0 record to start the season, and their offense has looked elite so far, scoring over 95 points in both contests. Accomplishing this without their projected leading scorer Aden Holloway is very promising to this Alabama squad.
Holloway was arrested back in March on two felony drug charges where he was suspended from the team immediately, preventing him from playing in the 2026 March Madness tournament. A month later, he entered a second chance program requiring over 50 hours of community service, drug and alcohol screenings, and fines.
He rejoined the team in July where he has been practicing and anxiously awaiting his return. Even though he had returned practicing with the team, a three game preseason suspension and a two game regular season suspension still had to be served.
Alabama played three preseason games before the season started, matching up against quality competition. They collected wins against schools such as Auburn and Ole Miss, and got a quality win against a solid mid-major program in Furman.
Nate Oats and his squad opened the season against Sam Houston State, collecting a 96-74 win against the Bearkats. The Tide had four guys in double-digit scoring, which was good news considering the absence of their biggest playmaker. The next opponent on the schedule was the Arkansas State coming into town. This game was a little less impressive, where the tide allowed 86 points to the Red Wolves, continuing their defensive struggles from previous years. Nonetheless, they still escaped with a 101-86 victory.
However, bama fans have a lot to look forward to on Monday, as the return of Holloway is set to take place.
This is good for many reasons. On top of all the scoring we've seen so far, arguably the best three-point shooter in the country will return to the hardwood. Another reason is that the Tide finally gets their natural point guard back to the court. This allows several players to move back to their natural positions, which should increase production from some other players.
On top of all the on the court success we will see, there is a lot of improvement that will happen behind the scenes.
Despite previous mistakes, the team will still trust their veteran, increasing team chemistry by a big percentage. Another aspect of the team that will improve is leadership. Entering as a senior, Holloway will be a great mentor to some younger guys on the team, which will be detrimental to the team's success in the future considering the production we have already seen from this freshman class.
Anderson Diaz is a player that Holloway should definitely take under his wing. Both guys have similar builds and play styles, which will be super important for Diaz's future in college.
On Monday, Alabama will face the Oakland Golden Grizzlies at 6:30 p.m. CT in Coleman Coliseum for the third straight home game to open the season.
Fans will be have the opportunity to witness the return of Holloway, and the impact his presence will be serve within the program on and off the court.