As Alabama basketball guard Latrell Wrightsell Jr. recovers from an Achilles injury, he’s been slowly working his way back into preseason practice. UA coach Nate Oats, however, is pleased with his progress.
“He’s been unbelievably great in the whole rehab process. I think he’s coming along. He’s probably where he needs to be,” Oats said Monday. “We didn’t practice him today. We’ve had him on a little bit of a load management deal bringing him back.”
UA benefitted from the experience of multiple fifth-year players last season in reaching the Elite Eight round of the NCAA tournament, and Oats is pleased to have two more returning for 2025-26.
Wrightsell and Houston Mallette, both graduate students, figure to play key roles for the Crimson Tide.
“It’s big. It helps to have some of these fifth-year guys. Wrightsell’s played a lot of college basketball. Houston Mallette has played a lot of college basketball. Both those guys were in the program last year. Both redshirted under different circumstances,” Oats said. “We have them both, and Wrightsell’s played here a year already, so he’s got a full year plus a handful of games last year in experience. He’s been in college a long time. He’s a leader, he talks, he can be a great on both sides of the ball, we’ve just got to get him healthier.”
While UA fans have seen very little of Mallette, who appeared in just six Alabama games last season due to injury, they’re much more familiar with Wrightsell. Like Mallette, the 6-foot-3 guard was injured for much of last season, but he played extensively the year before and proved to be one of UA’s most accurate shooters. In 2023-24, he averaged 8.9 points per game while shooting 44.7% from 3-point range. He also made all of his 27 free throws.
Last season, Mark Sears, Grant Nelson and Chris Youngblood — all fifth-year players — made up a significant part of Alabama’s core talent. Sears played more than 32 minutes per game, while Nelson and Youngblood averaged more than 25 minutes each.
Once fully healthy, Wrightsell figures to play a similarly prominent role for what will be Oats’ seventh Alabama team, which opens the season Nov. 3 against North Dakota at Coleman Coliseum.
Reach Tuscaloosa News columnist Chase Goodbread at cgoodbread@gannett.com. Follow on X @chasegoodbread.