Alabama guard Latrell Wrightsell Jr. suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon and will miss the remainder of the 2024-25 season, Crimson Tide coach Nate Oats announced Tuesday. Wrightsell, a senior sharpshooter who was a pivotal piece of Alabama's 2023-24 Final Four team, sustained the injury in the second half Saturday in an 83-81 loss to Oregon.
The loss of Wrightsell is a devastating blow to a team that under Nate Oats has prioritized players who fit his exact skill set. Oats and the Tide have risen meteorically in the college hoops world behind an ethos of firing 3-pointers with high volume, which Wrightsell did better than any other Alabama player the last two seasons. He led the team in 3-point shooting percentage last year at 44.7% among qualifying players and had made a team-high 42.2% of his 3-point attempts this season prior to the injury.
"He was leading the team in 3-point percentage and is one of the better shooters in the country," Oats said Tuesday, calling the injury "disappointing."
Wrightsell's injury was confirmed by an MRI on Monday evening. He is set to undergo surgery on Wednesday and could qualify for a medical redshirt if he chooses to apply for one, Oats said.
There's no replacing a player of Wrightsell's ability and experience but there's also no shortage of shooters standing in the wings for Alabama, which has ranked top 20 nationally in total percentage of offense generated by 3-pointers. The coaching staff has consistently placed a high value on players who can stretch the floor in targeting both high school players and transfers out of the portal.
One option being considered as a way to offset the loss of Wrightsell is burning the redshirt of Pepperdine transfer Houston Mallette, a career 37.5% 3-point shooter who hit 41.5% on 3-point attempts last season. Mallette arrived earlier this year at Alabama and intended to redshirt due to lack of minutes available in the rotation and an injury in the summer that hampered his ability to get up to speed.
South Florida transfer Chris Youngblood is another potential candidate to help with Alabama's backcourt. Youngblood, who made 41.6% of his 3-point attempts last season, is nursing an ankle injury and has yet to make his season debut, but Oats said Tuesday he is ramping up for a return relatively soon.
Alabama is 6-2 on the season and No. 10 in the latest AP Top 25 after opening the year ranked No. 2. Its next game comes on the road Wednesday where it will face No. 20 North Carolina in Chapel Hill in the SEC/ACC Challenge.