Nate Oats Provides Positive Injury Update on Latrell Wrightsell

Nate Oats updated the status of the senior guard after having missed the past three games with a head injury.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama basketball has been shorthanded for the past week or so, missing starting guard Latrell Wrightsell for three straight games after he suffered a head injury in practice nearly two weeks ago.

During his Friday press conference ahead of Saturday's game against No. 4 Tennessee, head coach Nate Oats provided a positive update on Wrightsell's status for this weekend, though he didn't outright say he would be available to play.

"Obviously with the head injuries you don't want to rush it, he's going through workouts," Oats said. "It's really day-to-day based on meetings with Clarke, our trainer, our doctor, our neurologist. They say it's going really well and he's getting much better but that's not something a coach can [decide]. When he can play, they'll let me know he can play."

Oats also specified that Wrightsell has been participating in basketball-related work as of late.

"They've got a whole process, I don't know exactly how it all goes, the team doctors handle that," Oats said. "But he's back doing basketball workouts and conditioning and all that. They say it's going really well so it should be any day here that he's able to play games."

Wrightsell has been one of the most vital players to the Crimson Tide's success this season. He averaged 9.0 points per game and shoots nearly 45 percent from three, but the team also boasts an undefeated record in games where he scored at least 10 points. 

With No. 14 Alabama's massive game against No. 4 Tennessee looming, it would be a huge boost to get Wrightsell back in the lineup with the lead in the SEC standings on the line.

See also:

Previewing Alabama Basketball vs Tennessee: Blue Collar Unplugged Podcast