Latrell Wrightsell injury update: Nate Oats reveals status for Sweet 16 vs. UNC

The Alabama backcourt has been besieged by injuries in recent weeks and the bad luck continued in a Round of 32 game against Grand Canyon when guard Latrell Wrightsell was knocked out of the game with a head injury.

Wrightsell left after playing just 11 minutes, recording only two points and two fouls in the contest.

The good news for the Crimson Tide is that the guard’s injury shouldn’t keep him out going forward. That’s welcome news for Alabama fans, who have watched the backcourt get whittled away by injury in recent weeks.

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“Wrightsell will be able to play with us Thursday,” coach Nate Oats said after the 72-61 win over the Lopes. “He got elbowed in the head, had a head injury. He’s had some real bad luck here lately, but we’re going to be playing again and he can play with us again on Thursday.”

Along with Wrightsell, guard Rylan Griffen has dealt with some nagging injuries of late. But Griffen was closer to full health in the NCAA Tournament games over the weekend, playing 30 minutes and scoring 13 points against Grand Canyon.

Having both him and Latrell Wrightsell healthy and available will be key, because superstar Mark Sears needs the help in the backcourt.

Sears has single-handedly carried the Crimson Tide at times this year, but he’s much more effective when he has other weapons around him also demanding attention. Alabama should have that.

A few extra days off before taking on 1-seed North Carolina should certainly help.

“So we’re playing next Thursday. There’s only going to be 16 left,” Oats said. “I think our non-conference schedule got us ready for this. Four teams in the non-conference are all in the Sweet 16 and we lost to all four, but I thought we got better from it. So our defense is getting better as the year goes on. This might have been our best defensive performance of the year. It’s been our best for awhile.”

The four teams Oats mentioned were Arizona, Clemson, Creighton and Purdue. They make up four of the team’s 11 losses on the season.

But the Crimson Tide wouldn’t see Arizona or Clemson until the Elite Eight and wouldn’t see Creighton or Purdue until the national championship game. Oats will certainly be hoping Latrell Wrightsell and company can make some of those rematches happen.

Alabama and North Carolina are scheduled for a 9:39 p.m. ET tipoff on Thursday on CBS.