Alabama's March Madness hopes took a devastating blow on Monday when star guard Aden Holloway was arrested and charged with two felonies stemming from a Tuscaloosa County task force raiding his apartment and finding over a pound of marijuana.
Holloway is the Crimson Tide's second leading scorer and leading three-point shooter, averaging 16.8 points per game and connecting on just under 44% of his shots from deep on six attempts per game.
Holloway has been "removed from campus" and suspended by Nate Oats pending the outcome of the University's student conduct investigation. Oats said on Monday night during his radio show that Alabama was preparing to play in the NCAA Tournament without Holloway.
Alabama opens the Big Dance on Friday against 13-seed Hofstra, and if it advances will play the winner of Texas Tech/Akron on Sunday in Tampa.
Star sophomore guard Labaron Philon will carry an even more significant workload, but Oats will be looking for a few others to step up as well.
These Alabama players must step up without Aden Holloway or the Crimson Tide will head home early
3. Jalil Bethea
Miami (FL) transfer Jalil Bethea has not been able to find consistent minutes for the Crimson Tide this year. After missing the first seven games of the season with a preseason foot injury, Bethea was in and out of the rotation for most of the season.
Bethea's play has been inconsistent on both ends of the court, though he has received a lot of praise from Oats in the last few weeks. Bethea's confidence won't be an issue, and with Holloway likely out, the sophomore guard is going to be called upon to play a role off the bench for the Crimson Tide on Friday against Hofstra.
Bethea isn't a Holloway-level shooter, but he's capable if he plays within himself and doesn't force shots.
2. Latrell Wrightsell
Senior Latrell Wrightsell was going to be an important player regardless, but he'll have to carry a bigger on-ball workload than would be optimal with Holloway out. Philon will see a minutes increase, but Wrightsell will be one of a couple of players likely to take over secondary/tertiary ball-handling duties to spell Philon.
Wrightsell was playing at a high level down the stretch before a complete no-show against Ole Miss in the SEC Tournament. In 23 minutes, Wrightsell was held scoreless and shot 0-of-5 from the floor. A repeat performance against Hofstra by Wrightsell and Alabama might be one-and-done in the NCAA Tournament, as it was in the SEC.
Wrightsell is the one guy who can fill it up from three-point range in a similar fashion to Holloway. While his overall number (35.7%) for the season is significantly lower than Holloway's, that's skewed by a poor start to the season. In SEC play, Wrightsell hit 40% from three, and he's capable of getting hot at any moment.
It will be important for Wrightsell to see some early shots fall against Hofstra to get him in an early groove. If he's not shooting it well, the offense could be a bit of a slog.
1. Amari Allen
Getting Amari Allen out of his recent funk was pivotal even before the Holloway news broke, but now it's even more critical. The star freshman was a revelation for Oats and the Crimson Tide this year, but he slammed headfirst into the freshman wall
Over the last four games, Allen has averaged just 6.5 points per game while shooting 35% from the floor and 7% from three-point range. His struggles to put the ball in the hoop have also had a negative impact on his all-around game: his rebounding and assist numbers are down, too.
Without Holloway, Allen will spend a lot more time on the ball, and his playmaking and ability to beat his defender off the dribble will be key for Alabama's offense this weekend. He needs to break down the freshman wall, or the Crimson Tide could be ripe for an early upset.