Holloway returns to Alabama roster with five-game suspension

Aden Holloway is back on Alabama’s basketball roster but will be suspended for the team’s three exhibitions and first two regular-season games, according to Tuesday reporting by AL.com and The Tuscaloosa News. His first scheduled opportunity to return is November 9 against Oakland.

AL.com beat writer Nick Kelly reported that Holloway had returned to the team while clarifying that his official reinstatement would not take effect until November 9. Alabama’s current official roster lists the guard, whose return follows the resolution of the legal case that kept him out at the end of last season.

The Tuscaloosa News’ Emilee Smarr reported that Holloway completed the requirements of a second-chance program following his March arrest and had the charges dismissed. She also reported that he had been permitted to take part in summer workouts while the legal process continued.

Alabama athletics director Greg Byrne told AL.com that the department had been disappointed by Holloway’s choices but encouraged by his response, Kelly reported. Tuesday’s decision permits his return while preserving a suspension at the start of the schedule.

The games affected are separate from the November 9 return date. Alabama’s official schedule lists exhibitions against Furman on October 8, Ole Miss on October 15 and Auburn on October 22. The regular season opens at home against Sam Houston on November 3, followed by Arkansas State on November 6. Oakland visits Tuscaloosa on November 9.

Holloway’s absence removes an established scorer from those early games. Alabama’s official biography credits him with 16.8 points and 3.8 assists per game in 2025-26, along with 43.8 percent shooting from three-point range. He earned third-team All-SEC honors and reached double figures in 25 games.

Alabama has not announced a replacement starter or how coach Nate Oats will distribute the guard minutes during the suspension.