Nate Oats updates Rylan Griffen's status before final home game
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama guard Rylan Griffen sustained a calf strain in the Crimson Tide’s loss at Florida on Saturday. Three days later, head coach Nate Oats offered an update.
“We got his MRI results back yesterday. The MRI results were a lot better than what we had feared they might be,” Oats said on Friday. “So he’s on a day-to-day basis right now. He’s just working through it with Clarke as many hours as he can be in the training room, trying to get him back as quick as possible. I don’t know for sure when he’ll be back.”
With 4:15 to play, Griffen collided with two Gators and fell to the court, favoring his right leg. Oats was unhappy that no foul was called by the officials and picked up another technical foul. Meanwhile, Griffen could not put any pressure on his right leg and needed help off the floor from a teammate and trainer Clarke Holter. He went straight to the locker room.
Griffen played 25 minutes before his injury and scored three points on 1-of-4 shooting. The sophomore is averaging 11.1 points and 3.7 rebounds per game in 30 contests (28 starts), is fourth on the team in scoring and is shooting 45 percent from the field, 38.2 percent from the 3-point line and 83.3 percent from the free-throw line before the final home game.
Also against Florida, Alabama welcomed back senior guard Latrell Wrightsell, who had missed the previous four games with a head injury. Wrightsell only logged eight minutes, but Oats said after the loss that UA was trying to get him in shape to play more moving forward.
“As far as I can tell, he’s at a full green light,” Oats said of Wrightsell. “Now, yesterday’s practice, to me, would have been the one because we were off Wednesday, and so, we went harder Thursday, and if he responded to that one well, which he did, then he was able to go all today. Today was very short, the day before the game, but he was able to participate fully today.
“As long as tomorrow he’s still in a great place – because it’s every day is a new checkup – as long as I get great feedback tomorrow, I think he’s full-go.”
Tomorrow’s Alabama-Arkansas game is scheduled to tip off at 11 a.m. CT and air on ESPN.
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