Nate Oats teases Aden Holloway’s return to Alabama basketball

Nate Oats is excited for everyone to see the return of Alabama guard Aden Holloway.

The Crimson Tide head coach spoke about Holloway’s status on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, one day before Alabama hosts Arkansas State at Coleman Coliseum.

Holloway did not play in Alabama’s season opener on Tuesday, Nov. 3, due to an ongoing legal issue from the end of last season.

Alabama defeated Sam Houston in that game without him, winning in dominating fashion as several new faces made a massive impact.

But Oats’ comments on Thursday were not focused on the win.

They were focused on Holloway’s personal growth.

“Holloway’s changed,” Oats said.

“I can’t wait for you guys to see him as a person, talk to him.”

Oats elaborated on what he has observed over the last few months.

“When you see Aden Holloway and what he’s about, how he talks to you, how he talks to his teammates, how he plays the game of basketball, sometimes how you handle some adversity in life shows a lot more about you and your character than what maybe got you into the adversity in the first place,” Oats said.

The coach was ecstatic when referring to the person Holloway has grown into.

Holloway is a star senior guard who averaged 16.8 points and 3.8 assists per game last season.

He served as Alabama’s second scoring option behind Labaron Philon Jr.

Holloway will look to pick up right where he left off upon his return to the Crimson Tide’s lineup in the near future.

Oats’ comments suggest Holloway has grown in more ways than one.

The legal issue that kept Holloway out of the opener stems from an incident at the end of last season.

Oats did not provide additional details about the case on Thursday.

Alabama’s matchup against Arkansas State carries additional significance beyond Holloway’s potential return.

Arkansas State is coached by Ryan Pannone, who spent two seasons on Oats’ staff at Alabama.

Pannone joined Alabama in 2023 and helped the Crimson Tide reach its first Final Four in program history in 2024.

Alabama also made an Elite Eight appearance the following season.

Pannone filled one of three vacancies left by assistant coaches who left for head coaching opportunities after Alabama earned a No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.

In both seasons Pannone was at Alabama, the program led the nation in scoring, averaging 90.1 points in 2023-24 and 90.7 in 2024-25.

Oats reflected on how Pannone challenged his thinking about offense.

“When I hired him, I hired to learn from him,” Oats said on Thursday.

“I want to hire good guys that are smarter than me, that I can learn from and make me a better coach.”

Oats credited Pannone with helping Alabama create more scoring opportunities through off-ball movement, particularly cuts to the basket.

“The most efficient field goal you can get is a cutting two,” Oats said.

“We didn’t get nearly enough cutting and movement in our offense.”

Pannone also influenced how Alabama prepares for different defensive schemes.

Oats pointed to Alabama’s 2025 victory over St. John’s in Madison Square Garden as an example.

Alabama prepared assuming Rick Pitino’s team would blitz, but St. John’s switched for 40 minutes instead.

With Pannone’s influence, Alabama had answers for whatever the opponent threw at them.

Friday’s game will be the first time Oats faces Pannone as an opposing head coach.

Oats acknowledged the challenge of preparing for a team led by someone who knows Alabama’s system intimately.

“On Friday, Nov. 6, the Alabama basketball coach will have to figure out how to beat it,” Oats said, referring to Pannone’s knowledge of the Crimson Tide’s offense.

Alabama enters the game with momentum after its season-opening win.

The Crimson Tide’s depth was on display against Sam Houston, with multiple newcomers contributing.

Holloway’s return would add another experienced scorer to the rotation.

His 16.8 points per game last season made him one of the most productive guards in the SEC.

His 3.8 assists per game also made him a key playmaker.