Even as Alabama found success last season, it did so without star guard Latrell Wrightsell. A torn Achilles meant Wrightsell missed a majority of the year, only playing in eight games. He was originally out of eligibility but a successful waiver means Wrightsell is back in Tuscaloosa for the 2025-2026 campaign.
Progress continues to be made on injury rehab as well. Nate Oats revealed the latest on Wrightsell via Jon Rothstein on Tuesday. Massive news for Alabama just around two months from the beginning of the regular season.
“Alabama’s Latrell Wrightsell (Achilles) has been cleared for non-contact work and is ‘doing some basic basketball activities’, per Nate Oats,” Rothstein said via X. “Averaged 11.5 PPG in eight games last season prior to injury.”
Wrightsell was incredibly effective in the limited time he saw action last year. His shooting numbers pop off the stat sheet, making 50% of all field goal attempts and 42.2% from the field. Alabama, which ranked 189th in free-throw percentage despite averaging 25.2 a game, missed his 85% clip from the line.
Oats has now had Wrightsell in the system for quite some time. He transferred to Alabama from Cal State Fullerton ahead of the 2023-2024 season. Wrightsell was a part of the group to make the Final Four and watched his teammates play an Elite Eight game from the bench. His three-point shooting proves to be as lethal as anybody in college basketball, an overall theme for Oats.
“We’re going to have a really good shooting team, maybe the best shooting team we’ve had since I’ve been there,” Oats said this past summer. “There’s shooting everywhere. Our bigs can shoot. Everybody in the front court. Really, there’s not a non-shooter on the floor. We should have shooting everywhere. Our defense is going to have to get a little bit better, but we’re going to have good versatility and good shooting next year.”
However, working back from an Achilles can be difficult. Wrightsell going through “basic basketball activities” is a positive sign, for now. All ramp-up will lead toward Alabama’s season opener on Nov. 3 against the North Dakota Fighting Hawks.
From there, the usual nonconfernece gauntlet set up by Oats begins — highlighted by games against the St. John’s Red Storm, Purdue Boilermakers, and Illinois Fighting Illini. Getting Wrightsell inserted into the lineup could prove to be as important as any addition or retention on the roster.
