One of the most important players for the 2023-24 Alabama Crimson Tide men’s basketball team has announced that he will be using his fifth and final year of eligibility in order to return to Tuscaloosa.
Latrell Wrightsell Jr., who was Alabama’s best three-point shooter and arguably best on-ball defender, will be giving college another shot after Alabama fell short of the national championship but made the Final Four for the first time in program history:
https://twitter.com/LJWrightsell/status/1782786989923692991
Wrightsell struggled with injuries throughout the year, the team’s performance suffering in his absence.
He suffered his second head injury of the season in Alabama’s second round victory over Grand Canyon, but would return to hit two threes in the Tide’s defeat to Connecticut in Phoenix.
Wrightsell’s best game of the season came in Alabama’s regular season finale against Arkansas, scoring 20 points, including a last second three-pointer to force the game into overtime.
He appeared in 30 games this season and averaged 8.9 points per game, 3 rebounds per game, and 1 assist while shooting a scorching 44.7 percent from the three-point line.
Latrell Wrightsell Jr. vs Arkansas
20 PTS
3 REB
2 AST
2 STL
FG: 8-12 (66%)
3FG: 4-8 (50%)
+7pic.twitter.com/ecTsYOh2uW— Wednesday | 8 CT | CBSSN 🐘🏀 (@UARoundballGuy) March 11, 2024
With one of its key cogs back in the fold, Alabama will now turn its focus to building through the transfer portal and attempting to land a center, as well as hoping Mark Sears and Grant Nelson return.
Nelson has until the weekend to make his decision. Sears has already declared for the draft, but the hope is that the guard will get feedback from the NBA and choose to return anyway.
The next couple of weeks will be very telling, but by the way things are going, the Crimson Tide could be poised to have one of the top rosters in the nation entering next season.
Michael Brauner is a Senior Sports Analyst and Contributing Writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @MBraunerWNSP
