Rivals to Rebounders: Aden Holloway’s Transfer from Auburn to Alabama Sends Shockwaves Through College Basketball
TUSCALOOSA, Alabama: After former Auburn point guard Aden Holloway committed to the Crimson Tide on Saturday, Alabama’s men’s basketball team added another player to its 2024–25 roster. The former five-star recruit Holloway started 26 out of 35 games for the Tigers in the last campaign, scoring 7.3 points and dishing out 2.7 assists per contest. Holloway, who was in Alabama on Thursday, is expected to be a vital rotation player for the squad the next season.
With Holloway, Alabama has committed to three different transfer portals during this window: Houston Mallette (Pepperdine) and Chris Youngblood (South Florida), two guards. With Holloway’s pledge, Alabama now has twelve scholarships.
What does Holloway’s commitment mean for Alabama?
Although Holloway did not have particularly impressive stats last season, his combination with Alabama might have a significant impact. With a year of starting experience under his belt for a team that won the SEC tournament, Holloway is a highly skilled player. He is now a member of the Alabama team, where hopefully he will not have to shoulder a heavy workload and can grow free from the strain of being a five-star rookie starter.
Holloway meets a need as a backup ball handler who can move Alabama’s offense in and out of its sets when Sears is not on the court, assuming he returns. In addition to being a creator for himself, Holloway will be another playmaker to set up shots for shooters like Latrell Wrightsell Jr. and newcomers Mallette and Youngblood. Holloway had a 3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio during the previous season. In the event that Sears departs, Holloway might start at point guard, or head coach Nate Oats might start Wrightsell, Mallette, and Youngblood in a guard lineup with a starting frontcourt that is still up in the air while Grant Nelson considers his options for the NBA Draft.
During the previous season, Holloway shot 31.8 percent from the field and 30 percent from 3-point range. However, being a part of Alabama’s attack and being surrounded by so many shooters could open up opportunities for Holloway. From the 2022–2023 season to this past season, Sears made considerable progress in one area of his game struggles: scoring from inside the 3-point arc.
Like Sears, Holloway is a little point guard, so having the chance to train with Sears would be priceless. Holloway can develop into a useful combo guard in spot minutes if he can continue to make the same progress under Oats and strengthen up going into his sophomore campaign. In a similar line, Alabama struggled on defense previous season due to advantageous circumstances brought forth by his stature. That is a worry, but he should be somewhat protected by another offseason spent in a strength program and a team-wide dedication to improving defensive performance.
Alabama still has one roster place remaining, which it will probably use for a player in the frontcourt. Joe Tipton of On3 reports that Clifford Omoruyi, a center for Rutgers who has one more year of eligibility and has been selected twice as an All-Big Ten defensive player, will be the guest of Alabama next weekend. With Holloway, who is more of a combination guard who scores baskets in transition but is also a developing facilitator who may see an expanding and changing role under Oats as he advances through the program, the backcourt appears complete.
(Photo: Andy Lyons / Getty Images)