Latrell Wrightsell will be available for Sweet 16 game vs. North Carolina
Although Alabama guard Latrell Wrightsell sustained a head injury and did not return to the Crimson Tide’s Round of 32 matchup with Grand Canyon in the NCAA Tournament, the senior will be available for the Sweet 16 game against North Carolina, Nate Oats said.
“Wrightsell will be able to play with us Thursday,” Oats said after Alabama’s 72-61 win over the Lopes. “He got an elbow to the head, he had a head injury. He’s had some real bad luck here lately. But we’re gonna be playing again, and he can play with us again on Thursday.”
Wrightsell started the NCAA Tournament game for No. 4-seed Alabama and scored two points in 11 minutes before suffering the injury. He sustained it while fouling a GCU player on a 3-point shot and stayed on the court for a while Tide trainers attended to him. He slowly made his way to his feet and went to the UA locker room before being ruled out of the game.
When Wrightsell left the game, Alabama’s teammates rallied around their injured teammate.
“That’s my brother for real,” sophomore guard Rylan Griffen said. “He came from the West Coast, that’s where he was at last year, so he’s got some friends and family out there. I came to the team and I was like, ‘There’s no way that was Trelly’s last game for the season.’ For me personally, I know he wants to play. I know he didn’t wanna get hurt today.
“He went out there and gave everything for us for the time he did play. I was like, ‘Let’s sure we make sure Trelly has a chance to play again for us this season.’”
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This marked the second time Wrightsell has been sidelined by a head injury this season. The guard missed four SEC games late in the regular season because of a nagging concussion.
The senior transfer from Cal State Fullerton entered the second-round contest averaging 9.3 points per game and was shooting 44.9 percent from 3-point range, 45.1 percent from the field and 100 percent from the free-throw line. Since coming back from his initial head injury in the penultimate regular-season game, Wrightsell has started four straight games.
Alabama’s Sweet 16 matchup against the 1-seed Tar Heels is scheduled for Thursday, March 28, in Los Angeles and will tip off after the Arizona-Clemson game. It will air live on CBS.
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