Last season, the Alabama Crimson Tide had a strong NCAA Tournament run to the Final Four where they ultimately fell to the eventual champion UConn Huskies. With the 2024-25 season approaching, they’re hoping for continued success. But Alabama is dealing with a few injury issues ahead of the season opener. Alabama head coach Nate Oats recently gave an update on Grant Nelson, Latrell Wrightsell Jr. and Aiden Sherrell.

“Wrightsell probably is the most furthest along, followed by Sherrell and Grant,” Oats said. “Grant has been the one held out of more things than the other two so far. They’ve all done something the last two days of practice.”

All three players are considered game-time decisions ahead of Monday’s season opener against UNC-Asheville. They all sat out for Alabama’s exhibition games against Memphis and Wake Forest.

Grant Nelson has been dealing with an abdominal injury while Latrell Wrightsell and Aiden Sherrell both have leg issues. Nate Oats said that Wrightsell is most likely a go for Alabama’s season opener on Monday and that all three, should they play, will be on some kind of minutes restriction.

Both Nelson and Wrightsell played key roles during the Crimson Tide’s Final Four run last season while Sherrell is an incoming freshman.

Nate Oats, Alabama looking to build off Final Four run

Auburn Tigers guard Aden Holloway (1) attempts a layup against the Yale Bulldogs during the first half of a game in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena.
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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Expectations will certainly be high for the Crimson Tide during the 2024-25 season. After reaching the Final Four, the program lost a few players to the transfer portal, but picked up a few key newcomers of their own.

Highlighting Alabama’s incoming transfer portal haul is Aden Holloway, who transferred from rival Auburn. Holloway was a highly-touted prospect coming out of high school. Last year he appeared in 35 games for Auburn, including 26 starts, at a little over 20 minutes per game.

He averaged 7.3 points, 1.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists with splits of 31.8 percent shooting from the field, 30.2 percent shooting from the three-point line and 77.4 percent shooting from the free-throw line.

Joining Holloway as transfer portal additions for Oats and the Crimson Tide are former South Florida guard Chris Youngblood, former Rutgers center Clifford Omoruyi and former Pepperdine guard Houston Mallette.

As far as the incoming freshman class, Sherrell highlights a very talented group. The three other players that round out the group are forward Derrion Reid, guard LaBaron Philon and forward Naas Cunningham.

The Crimson Tide lost six players from last season’s team to the transfer portal, but Nate Oats still has enough talent to make another deep NCAA Tournament run.