Injury updates on Latrell Wrightsell, Keitenn Bristow, Jalil Bethea before Clemson game

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The Alabama men’s basketball team was down to nine just scholarship players for its final game in the Players Era Festival. Latrell Wrightsell Jr. missed all three games in Las Vegas, while Keitenn Bristow missed the Maryland win. Both dealt with leg injuries.

On Tuesday, Alabama head coach Nate Oats offered the latest on both banged-up players, as well as transfer guard Jalil Bethea, who has not played this season because of a foot injury.

“Wrightsell, Jalil and Keitenn all saw the foot and ankle specialist,” Oats said. “They all have got lower-leg injuries, and they’re all basically day-to-day. I’m not sure if any of them will quite be ready for Clemson. We’ll see. They were all in different aspects of practice today — some a little bit more involved than others. We’ll see where they’re all at tomorrow.

“But we don’t want to rush any of them back. We want to make sure they’re healthy by the time SEC plays comes, and rushing guys back from injury is not the way to do that. So, we’ll see where those guys are at in the morning based on what they went through in practice today.”

Wrightsell has played in three games this season, missing the 2025-26 season opener and all three of the games in Vegas. The sixth-year senior guard is averaging 9.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game while shooting 37% from the field. Wrightsell scored 17 points and knocked down four 3-pointers in Alabama’s road victory over then-No. 5 St. John’s.

Bristow has also played in just three games this season. He missed the first three games and the Maryland game. The Tarleton State transfer is averaging 6.7 points and 7.3 rebounds per game while shooting 38.9% from the floor. Bristow has 11 rebounds versus Gonzaga.

Bethea suffered a foot injury during practice in September and underwent surgery to repair the issue. The Miami transfer has not played in a game for Alabama yet. Last year in Coral Gables, Bethea averaged 7.1 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game for the ‘Canes.

What will Bethea add to the Crimson Tide backcourt when he is able to return?

“He’s been out a long time now, so going back to where he was getting to at the end of the summer, going into the fall, he can really shoot,” Oats said of Bethea. “He’s super athletic, so it gives us more depth in the backcourt. Very skilled offensive player. 

“We’re challenging him to get better defensively, get stronger. I think Henry’s done a really good job with him when he’s been out of getting stronger. It’s easier to put weight on when you’re not practicing every day, burning all those calories off. So, I think Henry and Amanda have done a really good job trying to change his body over and get a lot stronger, so he can be a better defender, because we need him to be significantly better on defense. 

“He’s also got to take care of the ball a little bit better. Sometimes decision-making needs some improvement, but man, when he’s got it going and playing in the open floor, he’s one of the more talented kids we’ve had come through here. He can really shoot it. He can really score. He can get downhill and play athletic. 

“So, we want to make sure he’s healthy before we put him out there. He’s been out there doing some live stuff in practice the last couple days. He’s looked pretty good, but he’s also rusty. He hasn’t played basketball in a couple months, so we’ve got to make sure he’s playing where we need him to play before we put him back in there in a game.”

Center Collins Onyejiaka is still out, Oats said. The freshman is dealing with a medical condition and was ruled out indefinitely before the Crimson Tide’s 2025-26 basketball season tipped off.

“He’s getting testing done by our medical staff that hopefully, by the end of the week, we have more answers and we’ll have a better idea of what he’s gonna be able to do moving forward,” Oats said.

Alabama will play host to Clemson on Wednesday, Dec. 3, at 6:15 p.m. CT on ESPNU.

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