If Injury Bug Not Bad Enough, Alabama Basketball Also Bitten by Flu Bug

Alabama hoping to have a little more depth available against Mississippi State

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama men’s basketball has been dealing with the injury bug all season. But it’s also been recently plagued by a flu or stomach bug of some sort as well.

Junior forward Alex Reese spent halftime of Alabama double-overtime loss at Florida on Saturday vomiting in the locker room.

He managed to play 23 minutes and score 14 points, but grew fatigued as the game progressed. Combined with junior forward Galin Smith, junior guard/forward Herb Jones and redshirt freshman forward Javian Davis all fouling out and the Crimson Tide was basically running on fumes when the Gators completed a 21-point comeback for a 104-98 home victory.

“I felt good," Jones said after playing 50 minutes. "I was more mad we lost."

Reese was back practicing Tuesday as Alabama prepared to face Mississippi State in its home-SEC opener (Wednesday, 6 p.m., SEC Network).

“We can’t catch a break,” Crimson Tide coach Nate Oats said. “Beetle [Bolden] had a one-day deal where he had to get IVs before our last home game. Reese had a one-day deal. He came back in, got treatment and felt a lot better on Sunday. We’ve fought through some adversity, and hopefully, it’s making us a lot tougher.

“We’ve still got a lot of the season left. Shoot, we’re only one game into an 18-game season, so hopefully all the adversity we’ve faced with the injuries, with the sickness or whatever is making us a lot stronger and we’ll play a lot better for it.”

There were times during the fall that the team was so short-handed that it couldn't have full-squad five-on-five drills during practices. 

\Although Alabama (7-6, 0-1 SEC) is getting healthier and enjoying having some more depth available, so are the Bulldogs (9-4, 1-0).

After being suspended for the final 10 games of last season and the first 10 of this season for a violation of team rules, junior Nick Weatherspoon has played the last three games and is coming off an 18-point performance at Auburn.

“You kind of have to throw out what they did before because they’re a completely different team with him,” Oats said. “He gives them an experienced point guard, can play with a lot different pace.

“They’re much better with him.”

Alabama Athletics