Latrell Wrightsell injury update: Alabama guard to miss rest of 2024-25 season
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama guard Latrell Wrightsell Jr. is set to miss the remainder of the 2024-25 season because of an Achilles injury, coach Nate Oats announced on Tuesday.
“He did rupture his Achilles tendon, so he’s out for the year, which is disappointing,” Oats said. “He’s leading the team in 3-point percentage. He’s one of the better shooters in the country.
“He’s gonna have surgery on it on Wednesday. We expect him to make a full recovery. It’s obviously not a quick recovery from an Achilles, but they’re confident that … he’ll be able to get back to a high level of basketball after his recovery.
“But he’s out for the year.”
Wrightsell suffered the setback during the second half of the Crimson Tide’s loss to Oregon in Las Vegas on Saturday night. Prior to his injury, Wrightsell scored 10 points in 15 minutes and shot 3-of-5 from the field and 2-of-4 from three. The fifth-year senior averaged 11.5 points per game and shot 50 percent from the field to begin the season. Wrightsell had scored in double figures in six of Alabama’s eight games of the 2024-25 campaign.
A transfer from Cal State Fullerton, Wrightsell played in 31 of the Crimson Tide’s games a year ago and averaged 8.9 points per game while shooting 44.7 percent from 3-point range and 100 percent at the free-throw line. But Wrightsell missed time last year due to multiple head injuries, including some of Alabama’s games during the NCAA Tournament run.
Wrightsell is in his fifth and final season of college, but UA will look at a medical redshirt.
“The rule is 30 percent, which is 10 games, in basketball, and he can’t play in the second half of the season, which he hasn’t. He’s played eight,” Oats said. “So we’re definitely looking at the medical redshirt.
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“We’re just gonna have to sit down. He’s already a college graduate, so there’s lots that go into that. Right now, our focus is more with making sure that he and his family – his family will come in and be with him during the surgery – just make sure he’s taken care of during the surgery. That’s kind of where we’re at with him now.
“And then after he gets out of surgery, as a couple weeks go on, we’ll start to figure out what the next steps are with him on that.”
Alabama is already without transfer guard Chris Youngblood, but he is set to make his debut soon. Oats also elected to redshirt transfer guard Houston Mallette but potentially lifting that is on the table. Right now, however, the Wrightsell injury leaves the Crimson Tide’s backcourt to just Mark Sears, Aden Holloway and Labaron Philon for the upcoming contest.
No. 10 Alabama will next travel to play No. 20 North Carolina on Wednesday, December 4. The SEC/ACC Challenge matchup is scheduled to tip off at 6:15 p.m. CT and air live on ESPN.
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