Guard Nimari Burnett Out Indefinitely with Injury
Alabama men's basketball sophomore guard Nimari Burnett suffered an injury to his left wrist, which required surgery and will be sidelined indefinitely, head coach Nate Oats said.
Burnett had successful surgery Tuesday morning at Andrews Sports Medicine/St. Vincent’s Hospital in Birmingham, Ala., and is expected to make a full recovery with plans to return this season.
A starter for all nine games this season, Burnett averaged 7.9 points and 2.3 rebounds per game, while shooting 42 percent from the field and 35 percent from 3-point range. He also was the main defender against Houston's Marcus Sasser, one of the best guards in the nation, who finished with nine points on 2-for-11 shooting.
With Burnett out, there will be a change in the starting lineup, the first time that's happened this season. Alabama does have a deep guard rotation, meaning that there will be more minutes to go around during the game against Memphis and beyond.
Rylan Griffen is the first player that comes to mind regarding who may get more action. The freshman guard is finding more rhythm as the season goes along, and Oats said he's done well in limited action. This may also be the game that Jahvon Quinerly, who is finding his footing after coming back from a torn ACL, could return to the starting lineup for the Crimson Tide.
Alabama's game against Memphis tips off a 8 p.m CT, followed by a game against Gonzaga on Saturday at Noon CT. The latter will be played in Birmingham.
