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The Tuscaloosa News
Three Alabama basketball players who have to step up to replace Latrell Wrightsell Jr.
- Story byThe Tuscaloosa News
- Three Alabama basketball players who have to step up to replace Latrell Wrightsell Jr.
Alabama basketball is down its top 3-point shooter for the 2024-25 season.
Coach Nate Oats announced Tuesday that returning Final Four starting guard Latrell Wrightsell Jr. is out for the year with a ruptured Achilles tendon.
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At the top of the second half against Oregon this past Saturday, Wrightsell exited the Players Era Festival championship after falling to the floor following a 3-point attempt, writhing in pain despite no contact on the play.
Wrightsell, who is now being considered for a medical redshirt, was averaging 11.5 points per game. He'd shot 42.2% for 19 treys through five starts on the year, which could've been more had Wrightsell not been forced to operate on a minutes restriction with a different lower leg injury that saw him benched in the preseason.
Nov 11, 2024; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama guard Latrell Wrightsell Jr. (3) takes a three pointer from the corner at Coleman Coliseum. Alabama defeated McNeese 72-64. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News
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Domination from downtown aside, Wrightsell has been a solid defender who fights through contact, serving the Crimson Tide as an Energizer Bunny of sorts.
With Wrightsell unable to contribute, here are three players who need to step up should UA seek a return to the Final Four and compete for the SEC championship.
Aden Holloway , sophomore
When "the Biz" is clocked in and locked in, Holloway has shown he can be an assassin from not just the perimeter but in the paint. However, his shooting has been spotty early in the season. The Auburn transfer went scoreless against McNeese, failing to make a bucket in six attempts. He went 3 for 7 in the loss at Purdue with one 3-pointer and seven points, only to recover with an 18-point outing in the victory over Illinois .
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Against Houston last Tuesday, it seemed as though Holloway had found his groove with the Crimson Tide , shooting 62.5% for for 14 points. Then he went 1-for-6 in a close one against Rutgers. Double figures against Oregon look reassuring at a glance, but Holloway attempted 10 shots from the arc and drained just three.
Mark Sears , senior
Compared to last season, the numbers may suggest that Sears lost his mojo. Oats says teams are "gearing their defense towards Mark a little different."
Oats admitted that Alabama 's spacing isn't what it's been in years past, and Sears can't step into his 3s quite like he did to sink 95 of them last season, which helped the SEC Preseason Player of the Year rack up 797 points to set the team record for the most scored in a single season.
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"He's found himself on top of the ball too much," Oats said.
Through eight games this season, Sears shot 28.8% from the arc. To see UA to the Final Four, he made 43.6% of his 3s.
Jarin Stevenson , sophomore
Before going 2 for 3 against Rutgers and 3 for 4 against Oregon, Stevenson had missed all 18 of his attempts from beyond the arc.
Stevenson made 31.7% of his 3-point shots last season, but he was a freshman and still proved to pull through in big moments. To reach the Final Four, Alabama advanced past Clemson in the NCAA tournament with a statement game from Stevenson off the bench. While Sears led the 89-82 win with seven 3-pointers in 38 minutes, the Crimson Tide would've had a hard time getting the job done without Stevenson's 5-for-8 outing on the perimeter to finish with 19 points.
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Emilee Smarr covers Alabama basketball and Crimson Tide athletics for the Tuscaloosa News. She can be reached via email at esmarr@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Latrell Wrightsell Jr. injured: Which Alabama basketball players step up?
