It is all about the bracket. When it comes to the Michigan Wolverines' chances of coming out the Midwest Region in the NCAA Tournament, Dusty May and his team need to take advantage of every possible break that could be coming their way. In the wake of Yaxel Lendeborg being good to go in March Madness after suffering an ankle injury in the Purdue loss, look at what happened at Alabama.
Alabama guard Aden Holloway was arrested after a pound of marijuana was found inside of his car.
Sources confirm Alabama guard Aden Holloway was taken into custody after Task Force agents recovered over a pound of marijuana, along with cash and paraphernalia — an amount authorities say suggests intent to sell.
— Bryan Aguada (@Bryan_Aguada) March 16, 2026
While this legal matter will sort itself out one way or another, it is important to know from a Michigan perspective that the Crimson Tide are the No. 4 seed in the Midwest Region. Should chalk prevail, Michigan could conceivably face Alabama in the Sweet 16 this postseason. If Holloway is unable to play in the NCAA Tournament, that could impact the Crimson Tide's chances of advancing this year.
If Alabama stumbles out of the gate or in the Round of 32, it might be No. 5 Texas Tech for Michigan.
Aden Holloway arrest has unintended consequences for Michigan's run
As of Monday morning, ESPN Analytics gave Michigan a 16 percent chance of winning it all in this year's NCAA Tournament. Only the top-seeded Duke Blue Devils have a better percentage chance than the Wolverines at a staggering 23-percent clip. Should Alabama not be as talented as most prognosticators thought coming in because of Holloway's arrest, that improves Michigan's chances.
Michigan will take on the winner of UMBC vs. Howard in their No. 1 vs. No. 16 game. Should the Wolverines advance, they would then face the winner of No. 8 Georgia vs. No. 9 Saint Louis in the Round of 32. Only after that is when the Wolverines could potentially meet No. 4 Alabama in the Sweet 16. So what kind of an impact would Alabama be losing if Holloway cannot play for the Tide?
On the season, Holloway is second on the team in scoring at 16.8 points per game. He is also averaging 3.8 assists and 2.8 rebounds per game as definitely the Crimson Tide's second-best player behind only fellow guard Labaron Philon Jr. Clearly, a well-coached team like the one May has at Michigan could be able to take advantage of a potentially depleted Alabama team if they squared off.
For now, Michigan needs to focus on the four teams it could play in the first weekend of the tourney.