Latest Latrell Wrightsell Jr. injury update before Alabama basketball vs Clemson in Elite Eight
LOS ANGELES — Latrell Wrightsell Jr. remains day to day with a head injury, coach Nate Oats said before Alabama basketball vs Clemson in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.
"We're trying to get healthy,” Oats said Friday. ". ... Wrightsell continues to be evaluated by the doctor and trainer. He's day to day."
Wrightsell, who exited the win against Grand Canyon with a head injury in the Round of 32, missed his fifth game of the season Thursday in the Crimson Tide’s 89-87 win against UNC in the Sweet 16 of March Madness.
The senior guard leads Alabama in 3-point shooting percentage at 44.3% and is No. 6 in the country in offensive efficiency, according to KenPom.com. With a turnover rate of 10.3%, Wrightsell remains the Tide’s most reliable player at taking care of the ball.
Rylan Griffen, who had 19 points against the Tar Heels, said Wrightsell has been like “another coach” on the bench.
"I talked to him. He said he wants to play, but he also wants us to win. So he doesn't want to do anything -- he's handling his business with the doctors day-to-day or whatever. He's just watching right now, but he's been a great coach on the sidelines," Griffen said.
"He's not playing, and, of course, he wants to play, but he's been a great coach on the sideline for us and getting us hyped and being a great teammate. Even though he's not playing, we still feel his presence all over the court."
Fourth-seeded Alabama (24-11) will battle sixth-seeded Clemson (24-11) on Saturday (7:49 p.m. CT, TBS/truTV) at Crypto.com Arena. The winner will advance to the Final Four in Phoenix.
When the Crimson Tide and Tigers played in November, Wrightsell had five points and four rebounds in an 85-77 loss at Coleman Coliseum.
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In addition to Wrightsell, Oats offered an update on Nick Pringle, who exited the win vs. UNC before returning to the game. He had two points, nine rebounds and four fouls in 19 minutes against the Tar Heels.
"You guys saw Pringle limping around," Oats said. "He's had a heel bruise he's been fighting through the year and that fired up. He's getting treatment all day. Hopefully we can get him back."
Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on X/Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Latrell Wrightsell Jr. injury update for Alabama basketball vs Clemson
