Aden Holloway Compares 'Abnormal' Experience at Auburn to Sophomore Year at Alabama

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— Alabama men's basketball guard Aden Holloway transferred from Iron Bowl rival Auburn this offseason knowing the risks of leaving a premier program as a starter.

The former Tiger hit a cold stretch during his freshman campaign last season, and a fresh start elsewhere seemed to be his only answer.

Holloway has shined with the Crimson Tide as the team's sixth-man, especially in the past few games. Tuesday night's 103-87 victory at home against Vanderbilt was perhaps the sophomore's best night with the Crimson Tide as he scored 22 points, including a 16-point first half where he was perfect from the field.

Nevertheless, this recent stretch that Holloway has been on is something that he expects of himself, especially due to his Alabama supporting cast.

"It feels kind of normal," Holloway said during the postgame press conference. "Last year was abnormal for me. I feel like it was completely downhill. It was tough getting back up. This year, my coaches have put a lot of confidence in me. My teammates put a lot of confidence in me. It just goes hand-in-hand. Super appreciative of all of them. I would just say it feels more normal to get back to playing at a higher level."

Alabama head coach Nate Oats has also taken notice of his recent stretch, but like Holloway, he's trusted the sophomore guard when the ball is in and out of his hands for quite some time.

"When he came here, he was shooting as well as anybody I've seen," Oats said. "If you watch him and Sears, the two of them always come in and shoot together and it's a real shooting contest. I mean, they go back and forth...I do think he needs to get the confidence up and get comfortable.

"How aggressive do I want him to be? I can't get him aggressive enough to be honest with you. I want him to take, I want him to take every single [three-pointer] that's open. I think that game where he took 19 threes against South Dakota, I told him he really should take 22 because he passed up three. I think his reply to me was 'Say, no more.' So from then, 'get them up' because he's not missing many."

It's safe to say that Holloway has found a home in Tuscaloosa.