Alabama vs Hofstra: Holloway's Absence, Upset Alert

0:00On March 19th, Alabama faces Hofstra in the first round of the NCAA tournament on Friday, March 20th. The matchup took a dramatic turn when Alabama's guard, Adam Holloway, was arrested and ruled out of the game. He's their second leading scorer and playmaker, leaving a huge gap in their offense. Without Holloway, Alabama must rely heavily on Laveron Philan to create in the half-court. Hofstra's strong back court can exploit that weakness, especially since the Crimson Ties defense struggles at the rim. Hofstra has been winning consistently, covering the money line in 11 of their last 12 games. Fans and analysts see this as a potential upset, with Hofstra listed as 11 and a half-point underdogs at plus 500 on the money line. The total points line sits at 159 and a half. It's a classic style clash too, as Alabama plays at the fourth fastest pace in the country, while Hofstra ranks near the bottom in tempo. Key players to watch include Hofstra's, Cruz Davis, whose effective attacking the basket and Philan,

1:04who might take a ton of threes for Alabama. No other major injuries reported for either side. The game tips off at 315 p.m. Eastern from Tampa, Florida, on True TV, setting up what could be one of the tournament's early thrillers.