Latrell Wrightsell Jr. Is Grinding Through Recovery — And Coach Oats Is Optimistic
Alabama hoops is back in summer mode, and while most of the squad is hitting the floor, guard Latrell Wrightsell Jr. is still working his way back from a brutal Achilles injury he suffered last season. The good news? Coach Nate Oats is feeling pretty hopeful.
Wrightsell tore his Achilles back on November 30 during a game against Oregon, and yeah — that’s one of the worst injuries a basketball player can get. Since then, he’s been out and was granted a medical redshirt. As of now, he still isn’t cleared for full basketball activity, according to Jon Rothstein, but the plan is to have him ready by the start of the 2025-26 season.
Coach Oats has been saying for a while that Wrightsell is ahead of schedule, and he doubled down recently:
“He’s already jumping,” Oats said. “Clarke says he’s working super hard. He’s doing everything he needs to do… we anticipate him being fully ready to go by the first game.”
Sounds like the staff is pumped about his progress — especially considering how serious Achilles tears can be. In fact, Wrightsell admitted the injury had him questioning his future in the game.
“I was really like, ‘I’m about to quit basketball,’” he said earlier this year. “My favorite player is Kevin Durant, and I saw him go through it… I just know a lot of people don’t recover from it.”
Totally fair reaction — that’s a heavy mental load for any athlete. But Wrightsell isn’t just sitting around. He’s putting in work and eyeing a big comeback. Before the injury, he was averaging 11.5 points a game and was a key part of Bama’s Final Four run last season.
The injury also temporarily bumped Houston Mallette into action, who also ended up getting a redshirt and will be back this season. So now, with both of them returning, Alabama could be stacked in the backcourt again.
