The Alabama Crimson Tide and head coach Nate Oats received big news last week when it was announced that Latrell Wrightsell Jr. was granted a medical redshirt by the NCAA and would be given one more year of college basketball eligibility for next season following an Achilles injury. The question now becomes, when will Wrightsell actually take the court.

Latrell Wrightsell still has not been cleared to resume basketball-related activities as he continues to rehab from the injury, but the hope is that he will be ready for Alabama by the start of the 2025-26 season, as per Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports.

Wrightsell was limited to only eight games last season after suffering the Achilles injury. During the games he played, he averaged 11.5 points, 1.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists with splits of 50 percent shooting from the field, 42.2 percent shooting from the three-point line and 85 percent shooting from the free-throw line.

He was in his second season with the Crimson Tide after transferring from Cal State Fullerton. Wrightsell played three seasons at Cal State Fullerton in the Big West before entering the transfer portal.

During his full season with the Crimson Tide in 2023-24, he appeared in 31 games, including 12 starts, at a little over 23 minutes per game. He averaged 8.9 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.1 steals with splits of 44.6 percent shooting from the field, 44.7 percent shooting from the three-point line and 100 percent shooting from the free-throw line.

Once Wrightsell is healthy, he figures to play a key role in Alabama’s backcourt. The Crimson Tide got another huge boost in the backcourt earlier in the offseason when Labaron Philon announced his withdrawal from the NBA Draft and his return to Alabama for his sophomore season. Returners Aden Holloway and Houston Mallete also figure to be prominent players in the Crimson Tide’s backcourt rotation.

This past season, Alabama, reached the Elite Eight for the second straight season, and their fifth NCAA Tournament appearance in six years under Oats.

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