Alabama head coach Nate Oats offered some encouraging news ahead of the Crimson Tide’s road matchup against Ole Miss on Wednesday: senior guard Latrell Wrightsell Jr. might be back in the lineup.
Wrightsell, who left Saturday’s win over Auburn early with a right knee injury, has made solid progress in his recovery. While his official status remains up in the air, Oats sounded optimistic about the possibility of Wrightsell suiting up.
“He's back to doing basketball activities. It's not as serious of an injury, which is great,” Oats said.
“Hopefully he can play tomorrow. He’ll be a game-time decision.”
That’s a meaningful development for Alabama. Wrightsell has quietly become one of the Tide’s more dependable two-way players this season.
In 15 appearances, he’s averaging 11.7 points per game and boasts a 30-to-11 assist-to-turnover ratio - a stat that speaks volumes about his control and decision-making on the floor. Add in his defensive consistency, and it’s clear why Alabama would love to have him active against the Rebels.
Injuries have been a recurring theme for Wrightsell, but when he’s on the floor, he gives Alabama a steady backcourt presence who can knock down shots, facilitate offense, and hold his own defensively. If he's able to go on Wednesday, even in a limited role, it would be a significant boost for a Crimson Tide squad looking to build momentum in SEC play.
Oats also confirmed that forward Taylor Bol Bowen will be available for the game. The freshman returned to action against Auburn after his own knee injury but logged just seven minutes. Now, it appears he's trending in the right direction.
“Taylor is coming around, he’s looking better and better coming off that knee injury,” Oats said. “Taylor will be available.”
Alabama enters the matchup at 16-7 overall and 6-4 in SEC play. A win in Oxford would mark the Tide’s first three-game conference win streak of the season - no small feat in a tightly packed SEC race.
Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. CT on the SEC Network.
With Wrightsell potentially returning and Bol Bowen continuing to get healthier, Alabama’s rotation could be rounding into form at just the right time.