Derrion Reid injury update: Nate Oats gives promising news on Alabama forward

Alabama coach Nate Oats had some positive news on the injury to forward Derrion Reid. Making his weekly appearance on “Hey Coach,” Oats revealed that Reid was able to practice with the team Monday ahead of the SEC Tournament.

“I thought he looked alright in a limited role,” Oats said. “Hopefully we’ll be able to get him back for some — even if the minutes are just limited because he’s been out so long, just give us something to play a little bit deeper in three straight games.”

Reid has not played in a game since Feb. 15 as he deals with a hamstring injury. He has appeared in 18 games with three starts this season to average 7.1 points and 3.2 rebounds per game.

Alabama earned the No. 3 seed in the upcoming SEC Tournament and will not play its first game until Friday. That gives the Crimson Tide a few more days to ramp up Reid’s activity before making the call on whether he will play or not.

A true freshman, Reid has been impactful in his first season in Tuscaloosa with 16.2 minutes per game. He was a No. 16 overall player and No. 6 small forward in the 2024 recruiting cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Although Derrion Reid hasn’t been able to find a rhythm this season before suffering another setback, Nate Oats is confident the 6-foot-8 forward has a bright future.

“Derrion’s one of our best positional size, athletic defenders. And he’s done very good jobs on different guys when he’s been healthy,” Oats said. “It would be great to have him. … It’s hard not getting the reps, and he’s missed maybe 35, 36 percent of our practice reps this year.

“I think he’s going to be a pro. He came in as a McDonald’s All-American, he’s got all the intangibles as far as tough, great attitude, high IQ, he’s athletic. A lot of the stuff the pros are looking for. We really don’t want to hurt his long-term career by rushing something to win a game or two. We’re trying to do what’s right by him.”

Alabama will play in the last game of the day on Friday evening and still does not know who its oppoent will be. Georgia, Kentucky and Oklahoma are the three possibilities, with the Sooners and Bulldogs set to tip off late Wednesay night.