Alabama basketball will be without starting guard for Florida game
Alabama basketball was without starting guard Latrell Wrightsell Jr. for the Florida game on Wednesday.
Wrightsell is dealing with a head injury, a UA spokesperson told the Tuscaloosa News.
"Hopefully we are able to get Wrightsell back quick," Alabama coach Nate Oats said postgame. "He's being evaluated on a day to day basis. We've got to see when he starts to feel a little better."
The absence of Wrightsell is not small. He is one of Alabama's most reliable offensive players and most efficient offensively — he's the sixth-most efficient offensive player in the country, per KenPom.
It's likely that Alabama shuffles the lineup some without Wrightsell. The Crimson Tide had been using a smaller lineup with Mark Sears, Wrightsell, Aaron Estrada, Rylan Griffen and Grant Nelson, but no Wrightsell meant Alabama inserted a bigger presence into the starting lineup with Sears, Estrada and Griffen filling the first through third spots in the lineup.
Freshman Jarin Stevenson got the start at the No. 4 spot as a forward.
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Latrell Wrightsell Jr. stats
Wrightsell has been automatic from the free-throw line, going 27-for-27. He also has been a weapon from beyond the arc, knocking down 57 of 128 triples (44.5%). His percentage from deep is fifth-best in the SEC. Wrightsell is averaging nine points per game, which is fifth on the team.
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Nick Kelly is the Alabama beat writer for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network, and he covers Alabama football and men's basketball. Reach him at nkelly@gannett.com or follow him @_NickKelly on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Latrell Wrightsell Jr. injury update for Alabama basketball v. Florida