Nate Oats gives update on three Alabama players ahead of season opener

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama basketball is working to be full strength for its season opener against UNC Asheville on Monday. The Crimson Tide has been without a few key players for its two preseason exhibition games.

Alabama forward Grant Nelson, guard Latrell Wrightsell Jr. and freshman forward Aiden Sherrell were all held out of the Crimson Tide’s two exhibitions against Wake Forest and Memphis. When speaking to reporters Thursday, Alabama coach Nate Oats said all three have had varied participation in practice.

Oats said Wirghtsell is the furthest along of the trio and is the most likely to be available against Asheville. Nelson and Sherrell will continue to be evaluated this weekend and Nelson has been held out of more activities than Sherrell and Wrightsell. He listed all three players as “game day decisions” for Monday night.

“They’ve all done something these last two days in practice,” Oats said. “We’re off tomorrow. See how they recover after today’s practice, what they look like tomorrow with (Alabama athletic trainer Clarke Holter) and then see if we can get them in a little bit more Saturday, see where they’re at Sunday as kind of the day before game practice.”

Oats said that he thinks “Wrightsell would play, that would be my guess right now,” while Alabama will have a better idea of Sherrell and Nelson’s status later this weekend. Oats is hoping to have all three players back for Monday’s game but said they will all likely be on a minutes restriction should they return.

The only remaining current injury on the team is guard Chris Youngblood. The South Florida transfer is expected to miss the majority of Alabama’s nonconference games with a leg injury that required surgery. Oats said the middle of December is the current window for when Alabama is hoping to have Youngblood back, which could see him return before conference play starts if Youngblood stays on that timeline.

Tipoff for Alabama’s matchup against UNC Asheville is set for 8 p.m. inside Coleman Coliseum. The game can be seen on ESPN U.