Why Alabama basketball alum Houston Mallette expects 'big year' for Aden Holloway

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In the eyes of former Alabama basketball player Houston Mallette, the future is bright for his previous Crimson Tide teammate Aden Holloway.

Holloway’s junior season came to an abrupt end in March before what would’ve been his second NCAA Tournament run with Alabama. He was arrested for first-degree possession of marijuana and failure to affix a tax stamp, released on bail, and soon after began the legal process to clear his record through a second-chance program. Knowing Holloway, Mallette thinks that what lies ahead says more than the mistakes of the past.

Mallette went unselected in the 2026 NBA Draft, but has since had a playing career with the Miami Heat. His time in the pros has given him the opportunity to watch some of the biggest names in the league work, including Kyrie Irving, who reminded Mallette of Holloway.

In a TikTok video on Wednesday, Sept. 2, Mallette said skill wasn’t what stood out most about Irving.

“Obviously, he’s a top five, top three skilled basketball player ever. It was how quickly he processes the game,” Mallette explained.

Once, for two hours, he watched Irving get double, triple and quadruple-teamed during a game of 21. Afterwards, he asked Irving a simple question.

Mallette recalled Irving’s reply: “Honestly, this is how they guard me at the end of the game. This is what brings joy out of me. This is how basketball is played. Like, I’m trying to figure things out, I’m experimenting.”

“He’s seeing things, reacting, changing speeds, making decisions, and he’s still having fun,” Mallette continued. “Biz just reminds me so much of that.”

Holloway, better known to his teammates as ‘Biz,’ is “entirely different” from his teammates because of his “joy” for the game, Mallette explained.

“You can tell by how he plays, how he works out, how he practices, he loves basketball, bro,” Mallette said. “And I think that joy comes from the work, because when I’ve watched Biz work out and Biz shoot, I mean, I’ve seen him make 227 threes without missing two in a row.”

Mallette also credited Alabama coach Nate Oats for giving Holloway the freedom to explore.

“It’s almost like watching somebody enter this flow state. The game slows down, everything connects, and he’s just completely present. And I think that’s the beautiful thing about Biz, the joy you see on gameday is backed by the work that not a lot of people see. That’s why watching him is so therapeutic to me,” Mallette said.

Prior to his absence from the team, Holloway was averaging 16.8 points per game and shooting 45% from the field while making over 48% of shots around the perimeter. He has participated in team workouts over the summer, but his reinstatement on the roster has yet to be confirmed. Per online court filings as of Tuesday, Sept. 15, Holloway still hasn’t fulfilled all the sentence requirements of his second-chance program.

“His ability to dribble through just one million different people is mind blowing to me,” Mallette continued. “I know he’s going to have a big year.”

Emilee Smarr covers Alabama basketball and Crimson Tide athletics for The Tuscaloosa News. She can be reached via email at esmarr@usatodayco.com.