Alabama basketball guard Latrell Wrightsell Jr. will be out for a fourth consecutive game with a head injury, sources tell The Tuscaloosa News.
Wrightsell, a veteran and a starter for the Crimson Tide , will miss Alabama's game against Tennessee at Coleman Coliseum that will very likely decide who wins the SEC this season.
He warmed up some before the Tennessee game but Wrightsell won't play just yet.
"It would be nice to have him back sooner rather than later but you also don't want to rush him," Alabama coach Nate Oats said before the Ole Miss game. "These things can go on and on if you don't handle it correctly or in the right manner. We're going to do it the right way and not rush him back but looking forward to getting him back as soon as we can."
Alabama has won two of the three games Wrightsell missed, beating Florida at home and Ole Miss on the road but it also dropped the game to Kentucky on the road a week ago.
He's an important player for the Crimson Tide. Wrightsell is one of the most efficient offensive players, one of the best perimeter defenders, a top shooter and automatic from the free-throw line. This season, Wrightsell is 27-for-27 from the charity stripe. Beyond the arc, Wrightsell has gone 57-for-128 (44.5%).
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Nick Kelly is the Alabama beat writer for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network, and he covers Alabama football and men's basketball. Reach him at nkelly@gannett.com or follow him @_NickKelly on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter .
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Latrell Wrightsell Jr. injury update: Latest before Tennessee
