Alabama could be short-handed vs. Kentucky

Nate Oats has Alabama cooking once again. The Crimson Tide (19-7, 11-2) own a game lead in the SEC standings and are on the verge of third regular season conference title under Oats. An argument can be made that Bama is the top program in the conference over the last five years.

Saturday at Rupp Arena will be a huge opportunity for Kentucky following another tough road loss in conference play. The Wildcats will be catching the Tide when they are short-handed.

On Thursday, the SEC suspended Alabama big Mohamed Wague for his excessive elbow in the win over Florida on Wednesday at Coleman Coliseum.

Hey @SEC can we uhhhhhh maybe look at the Alabama player throwing a full PEOPLE’S ELBOW down onto the head of Alex Condon??????? pic.twitter.com/vRhzHRVxcn

— Lucas Dolengowski (@LDolengowski) February 22, 2024

Wague will not be available for Alabama in Lexington on Saturday evening. The West Virginia transfer is averaging 4.0 point and 2.8 rebounds in 9.9 minutes per game. The Tide will not have the veteran big to use off the bench. There could also be another absence this weekend.

Cal State Fullerton transfer Latrell Wrightsell had played in every game for the Crimson Tide this season until missing Wednesday’s contest against Florida with a head injury. After the game, Oats says the guard who has started the last seven games for the Tide is “day-to-day”.

Wrightsell is averaging 9.0 points per game and is second on the team trailing only star guard Mark Sears in three-point field goals (57) and leads the team in three-point field goal percentage (44.5%). Not having the veteran guard for a second game would be a notable absence.

Alabama could be missing some key role players on Saturday in the contest against Kentucky.

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