Latrell Wrightsell injury update: Alabama guard expected to return for Final Four

Alabama guard Latrell Wrightsell Jr. suffered a head injury in the first half of the Crimson Tide’s second-round win over Grand Canyon on March 23. The injury forced Wrightsell to remain on the sidelines in Alabama’s Sweet Sixteen win over North Carolina and triumph against Clemson in the Elite Eight.

However, there’s now hope for his return. On Sunday, Jon Rothstein provided further details on Wrightsell’s situation.

“Alabama’s Latrell Wrightsell (head) will return to practice this week and barring any setbacks, is expected to play in Saturday’s Final Four game against UConn, per Nate Oats,” Rothstein wrote on X.

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It will be a massive addition for the Crimson Tide. Wrightsell is averaging 9.0 points and 3.0 rebounds per game this season while shooting 44.3% from beyond the arc. Wrightsell was key in Alabama’s opening-round win over Charleston, tallying 17 points in 26 minutes in the victory.

Nate Oats is thrilled for Final Four opportunity

Wrightsell’s return couldn’t come at a better time. Alabama will need all the help it can get as the team squares off against No. 1 overall seed UConn. It will be the Crimson Tide’s first ever appearance in the Final Four.

“It’s surreal,” Alabama head coach Nate Oats said on Saturday at Crypto.com Arena. “… Somehow I caught enough breaks I’m coaching in one, which is unreal. Give hope to a lot of high school coaches tonight, that’s for sure.

“I don’t know if it’s truly hit me yet,” Oats said. “Probably won’t hit me until after the Final Four is over because I’m going to enjoy it tonight and we’ve got to figure out how to beat UConn.”

Oats is in his ninth season as a college head coach but is only 11 years removed from working at Romulus (Mich.) High School, where he won a state title in his final year in 2013. After that, he landed a job as an assistant at Buffalo for Bobby Hurley.

Next weekend, Oats will have a full-circle moment coaching against Hurley’s brother, Dan, who is the head coach at UConn and led the Huskies to a national championship last season. 

“The Hurley family has got a lot of respect for high school coaches,” Oats said. “Their dad’s a hall of fame coach, and I caught a few breaks. It’s ironic I get to coach against Danny. I don’t know if ‘get’ is the correct word because they’ve got a pretty good team.”