Nate Oats says he did not plan for Nimari Burnett to return so soon

Alabama guard Nimari Burnett returned to action Saturday against Missouri after missing the last nine games with a wrist injury. After the game, head coach Nate Oats expressed his surprise at how fast Burnett’s recovery had been post-surgery.

“I didn’t anticipate him being able to play, but he practiced Thursday and he looked decent,” Oats said postgame. “… He wasn’t supposed to be back for at least another week, so, to me, any minutes we can get him right now — he’s gonna play hard. He’s gonna be great on defense. He got the one layup. This was a decent game to get him going because we got out in transition a little bit.

“But I anticipate him getting back pretty quick. He’s a hard-playing kid that’s gonna be great for us on defense. He makes open shots. He’s gonna be another guy where if [Mark] Sears or Brandon [Miller] are struggling, he can make open shots.”

Oats had Burnett on a pitch count during Saturday’s 85-64 road win over Missouri. He played six minutes where he notched two rebounds while going 0-2 from the floor. Obviously it wasn’t the best performance from him, but with just over a month removed from surgery, it’s expected. The fact that he’s even on the court is impressive in the first place.

Before the injury, Burnett averaged just under 19 minutes per outing during the nine games he was healthy enough to play. He averaged 7.9 points and 2.3 rebounds per game before being sidelined and barring another setback, Oats will likely continue to improve his minutes each night he’s back on the court.

Up next, the Crimson Tide will battle Mississippi State at home on Wednesday as they look to win their ninth-straight game and remain undefeated in SEC play. Tip-off is set for 9 p.m. ET live on the SEC Network.