Latrell Wrightsell Jr. Steps Up in Multiple Ways During Alabama's Win Over Ole Miss

The Crimson Tide guard came into the road matchup as a game-time decision due to a knee injury, but he proceeded to erupt for 18 points in the second half.

Feb 11, 2026; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nate Oats reacts with guard Latrell Wrightsell Jr. (3) after a basket during the second half against the Mississippi Rebels at The Sandy and John Black Pavilion at Ole Miss. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Imagine a team finishing the first half of a basketball game with 32 points, but ending the night with 93. That just doesn't happen.

Well, Alabama found a way to make what seemed impossible a reality, as the Crimson Tide cruised past Ole Miss 93-74 on the road on Wednesday evening.

Alabama guard Latrell Wrightsell only had three points in the first half, but he proceeded to explode for 18 in the second period. Wrightsell finished the game shooting 7 of 13 from deep. It's tied for his most single-game three-pointers made in his career, and he did it all of it off the bench.

"Super happy for Wrightsell," Alabama head coach Nate Oats said during the postgame press conference. "When we got the news Charles (Bediako) wouldn’t be able to play, we understood we would have to go small at the four spot and not have as much interior depth.

"One of the smaller guards was going to have to be removed from the starting lineup and he stepped up and was willing to do it so the team would have a better chance of winning.

"I’ve always had the thought that when you do things like that, you get rewarded, and he got rewarded in a big way, leading us in scoring and going 7-of-13 from three."

Wrightsell was helped off the floor by trainers in the first half of the road win over Auburn this past Saturday. Oats said after the game that he suffered a right knee injury and that he'd be examined on Monday. On Tuesday, the head coach was proud to say that it was "not as serious of an injury" and that Wrightsell would be a game-time decision for Ole Miss.

Wrightsell has missed a handful of games this season due to various injuries. It's been a bit of a concern, as his 2024-25 campaign ended very early after he ruptured his Achilles.

"With him, you get a little nervous," Oats said on Tuesday. "He's a tough kid, puts himself in tough spots. Plays super hard. Just for whatever reason, he's been very unlucky with some of the injuries."

These injuries put Wrightsell in a bit of a slump earlier in the season, as from Dec. 7, 2025, to Jan. 3, he was shooting 31.2 percent from the field and 23.5 percent from behind the arc in that six-game span.

"A month ago or so, I gave him a copy of the book, 'The Obstacle is the Way,' from Ryan Holiday — great book if you haven't read it," Oats said. "Our whole team probably needs to read it with what we've had to go through this year with everything. We've just tried to dive into handling adversity. The book of James in the Bible talks about finding joy in your trials. I talked about that with him and the team.

"I think he's just been very mature. Obviously, you see the frustration when he goes out of the games. I thought he was ready to play at Auburn. He goes out, can't play the rest of the game. But [he went] right back in the training room, getting his rehab back in and he looked great tonight."

"I pray that he stays healthy the rest of the year, because this is a really good basketball player that has missed games in some of our losses. When we don't have him, we miss him a lot."

Wrightsell, who is the only player on Alabama's roster who was a member of the 2023-24 Final Four team, has become a role model over the past couple of years.

That applies on and off the court.

"When we don't have them, we miss a lot," Oats said. "Hopefully we can keep him [healthy], because that's really the basketball player you saw there tonight. But I think his mentality to handle the adversity that he's been put under has been really good.

"[It's] a testament to some of the young guys that they had to handle a little adversity. Maybe not quite as much as him, but they've handled some, too."

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