Alabama Basketball Injury Updates Heading into LSU Matchup

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— Earlier this week on the "Hey Coach" radio show, Alabama head coach Nate Oats said this Saturday's game against LSU was hopefully be the worst case scenario for the latest return time for freshman forward Derrion Reid, who has missed the Crimson Tide's last three games with injury.

Oats recanted on his earlier thoughts after the team's Friday practice as Reid was still unable to go full out in practice.

"It’s one of those deals where we thought he’d be back a little quicker, and then as the injury goes on we’re not going to push it to where he’s not out," Oats said. "So, I don’t know. We play at night tomorrow, so I think he'll get a workout in tomorrow morning. See how he feels. He’s not a for sure. He’s not in. He’ll probably be listed as questionable would be my guess.”

Reid has three starts in 15 games this season and is averaging 8.1 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. Alabama has also been without Houston Mallette the last several games. Mallette was originally going to red shirt this season, but decided to burn the redshirt after Latrell Wrightsell Jr. got hurt. Mallette played in six games starting with the North Carolina game, but has been in the last four.

Oats said a decision has not yet been fully decided whether or not Mallette will sit out the remainder of the season to try and retain a medial redshirt to be able to come back to Alabama next season.

"But we’re leaning towards keeping him on the redshirt," Oats said. "I think what’s right by him if his knees don’t get to 100 percent here really quick, and we’re going to be at the halfway point in conference play a week from tomorrow. For him only to play half the conference games would be… I don’t know if that’s fair to him to be honest with you.

"That’s going to be a conversation we have with him when he gets here halfway through with how are the knees feeling. Because if you bring him back, it’s going to be ‘your knees are 100 percent healthy, and you can full go as many minutes as you deserve to play the rest of the year in all the games. If he can’t do that with his knees, I just don’t think it’d be right because we can continue to get him on the rehab program he's been on because he come a long way.”

Mallette had to sit out all summer with his knee injury, and then gradually started working his way back in the fall, but suffered the setback during the season. So while no final decision has been made, Alabama is leaning toward redshirting him.

No. 4 Alabama will host LSU Saturday night in Coleman Coliseum at 7:30.

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