Alabama Faces Another Short-Handed Test vs. Oklahoma as Injuries Mount
Alabama basketball is heading into Saturday’s matchup against Oklahoma with the same major question mark it faced earlier this week: who’s actually healthy enough to play?
The Crimson Tide rolled into Starkville on Tuesday night with just eight healthy scholarship players - and still managed to rally from a 14-point deficit to beat Mississippi State on the road. Now, as they prepare for another tough road test in Norman, it looks like they’ll be shorthanded once again.
Head coach Nate Oats gave an update on the injury front ahead of the trip, and while there’s some progress, the overall picture hasn’t changed much.
Injury Updates: Wrightsell, Bristow, Bol Bowen
“Latrell’s improving,” Oats said when asked about Latrell Wrightsell Jr. “He’s doing some basketball workouts. Didn’t practice today, so nothing really further on him.”
Translation: Wrightsell is trending in the right direction, but he’s not ready yet.
As for Keitenn Bristow, Oats made it clear the wing remains out indefinitely with a right ankle injury. No timeline there, and it doesn’t sound like one is coming soon.
Then there’s freshman guard Bol Bowen. He tried to practice, but a lingering hand injury is still limiting him. Oats said he’s not at “full speed” and they’ll see how he responds after the session.
“He’s still got some pain and discomfort,” Oats added.
With Collins Onyejiaka and Davion Hannah already sidelined, that means Alabama could once again be down to just eight scholarship players. If Wrightsell and Bristow are out - which seems likely - and Bol Bowen can’t go, it’s the same short rotation that gutted out a win earlier this week.
Depth Tested, But Resilience Growing
There’s no sugarcoating it: Alabama is banged up. But the flip side of that adversity is a team that’s starting to find its identity through the grind.
“Us being down players has sort of galvanized the group that is playing,” Oats said.
That was on full display in Starkville. After a flat start, the Tide flipped the switch and ran away from Mississippi State in the second half. The limited rotation forced the healthy players to dig deep - and they delivered.
They’ll need that same kind of effort in Norman.
Oklahoma Desperate for a Win
Oklahoma is coming in hungry. After dropping three straight SEC games, the Sooners are sitting at 1-3 in conference play and staring down a pair of upcoming road games. A loss at home to a depleted Alabama squad would be a gut punch - and they know it.
The Sooners will come out swinging, trying to take advantage of Alabama’s thin bench and wear them down over 40 minutes. But if Tuesday taught us anything, it’s that this Tide group doesn’t fold easily.
SEC Title Race Heating Up
Despite the injuries, Alabama got a little help this week. Texas knocked off Vanderbilt, giving the Tide a boost in the SEC standings and keeping them firmly in the title conversation.
But there’s no room for error. Dropping a winnable game against a struggling Oklahoma team could be costly down the line. Every conference game matters, especially when the margin for error is razor-thin.
Bottom Line
Alabama’s walking into Norman with eight - maybe nine - scholarship players. That’s not ideal. But this team has shown it can fight through adversity, and they’ll need every ounce of that grit to get it done again on the road.
Short-handed or not, the Crimson Tide are still in the hunt. And Saturday’s game is another chance to prove they’re built for the long haul.