Alabama men’s basketball is dealing with some preseason injuries.
Crimson Tide coach Nate Oats provided an injury update Thursday on Grant Nelson, Latrell Wrightsell Jr. and Aiden Sherrill. All have been training this week in some capacity with some restrictions, and Oates expressed different levels of optimism about each of them.
“Wrightsel is probably the furthest away, followed by Sherrill and Grant,” Oates said. “Grant has been dealing with a lot more things than the other two so far. They all did something in the last two days of training.
Oats said Nelson, Wrightsell and Sherrill will be game-day decisions.
“I think Wrightsell should play,” Oates said.
The team will have Friday off and then work Saturday and Sunday.
“See how they recover after today’s workout,” Oates said. “What do they look like tomorrow… Let’s see if we can get them on Saturday and see where they are by Sunday.”
Oats said the team hopes to get all three back and play Monday, at least on some level. If they do, all three will likely be subject to some type of minutes restriction, Oats said.
Nelson, Wrightsell, Sherrill and Chris Youngblood missed exhibition games against Wake Forest and Memphis the past few weeks.
Youngblood is expected to miss a period of time with injury but is expected to return through conference play. “Youngblood won’t be back for at least another month and a half or so,” Oates said. “Sometime in mid-December, that’s what we’re hoping for with him.”
Nelson and Wrightsell are both key players from the Final Four team. Sherrill is a freshman at center and was a five-star McDonald’s All-American in high school.
The Crimson Tide will begin their sixth season under Oats with a game against UNC Asheville on Monday (8 p.m., ESPNU) at Coleman Coliseum.
Nick Kelly is an Alabama state writer for AL.com and the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X and Instagram.
