Alabama guard Nimari Burnett to miss time after wrist surgery

Alabama is set for a Tuesday night showdown against Memphis, wanting to continue their momentum after defeating previously No. 1 ranked Houston. They will have to play against the Tigers and future opponents without guard Nimari Burnett, who has suffered a new injury.

Burnett will miss some time due to a wrist injury that required surgery, Alabama announced on Tuesday. The procedure took place on Tuesday and the guard is expected to return at some point this season for the Crimson Tide.

“Alabama men’s basketball sophomore guard Nimari Burnett suffered an injury to his left wrist, which required surgery and will be sidelined indefinitely,” the release read. “Burnett had successful surgery Tuesday morning at Andrews Sports Medicine/St. Vincent’s Hospital in Birmingham, Ala., and is expected to make a full recovery with plans to return this season.”

Injuries have plagued the short career of Burnett thus far, missing all of the 2021-2022 season due to a torn ACL. He transferred into the Alabama program after initially committing to play for the Texas Tech Red Raiders.

Burnett has played a critical role for Alabama this season on both ends of the court. As most guards are in a Nate Oats system, Burnett is able to connect from behind the arc, shooting 34.5% from three through nine games. Overall, he is averaging 7.9 points with a career-high 18 points coming against Jacksonville State.

The defensive performance of Burnett has been just as crucial. He was praised for defending well against Marcus Sasser on Saturday, as the Houston star was limited to nine points and an 18.2 field goal percentage.

Alabama will miss Burnett until he is able to return to the court later in the season. No specific timeline was provided by the school as some key games are about to stack up on the Crimson Tide’s schedule.