Alabama without guard Davin Cosby in NCAA Tournament due to broken foot
Alabama will be without one of its key backups for the NCAA Tournament, with guard Davin Cosby showing up in Spokane, Wash., with a walking boot on his foot.
Coach Nate Oats confirmed that Cosby suffered a broken foot and will be out for the tournament.
“Davin broke his foot in practice earlier this week, so he’s out, so we’re not a hundred percent fully healthy,” Oats said, according to BOL’s Charlie Potter. “That’s the one injury, and it was unfortunate. I think he stepped on somebody’s foot. He continued to practice, but then when we got it X-rayed after practice, it’s got a break in one of the bones, so he is out.”
Cosby is a 6-foot-5 freshman who comes off the bench for the Crimson Tide, averaging 3.6 points and 0.9 rebounds per game. He only soaked up 7.8 minutes per contest, so his absence won’t be overly devastating.
Still, it weakens the backcourt a bit, where Alabama was already dealing with some lingering injuries.
One thing that limited the Crimson Tide, especially defensively, in the SEC Tournament was a pair of injuries to guards Latrell Wrightsell and Rylan Griffen.
But both should be a little closer to full health in the NCAA Tournament.
“You’re hoping he can step back in and play like he was playing before he went out, but it’s probably unrealistic,” Oats said of Wrightsell. “Hopefully the next time he plays he’ll be able to practice with us all week, get some live reps and be a little bit better, because he’s been pretty good for us all year.”
Griffen averages 11.0 points per game, while Wrightsell averages 9.0.
“Wrightsell’s been a little banged up here over the last month, but he’s been a lot better, too, to be honest with you,” Oats said. “So having a healthy Wrightsell and Griffen will obviously make a difference.”
Nick Pringle rejoins the team
Another player that Alabama will have available for its NCAA Tournament opener against Charleston is center Nick Pringle. For a bit fans were worried about his availability after Pringle missed the team flight to Spokane.
But Pringle was reportedly dealing with a personal matter, thus causing him to join the team later. He flew commercial to Spokane and was spotted on the plane, momentarily fueling rumors about his availability. Pringle had previously been suspended twice this season.
The big man averages 6.9 points and 5.0 rebounds per game, eating up 17.8 minutes per contest.
Alabama will take on Charleston in the NCAA Tournament opener at 7:35 p.m. ET on Friday, with a broadcast set for truTV.