Alabama Guard Latrell Wrightsell Out for Sweet 16

LOS ANGELES — Alabama basketball will be without one of its most important players for Thursday night's Sweet 16 game against 1-seed North Carolina.

Latrell Wrightsell, one of Alabama's typical starters at the guard position, will miss the game due to a head injury suffered against Grand Canyon, confirmed by the Crimson Tide Sports Network pregame show.

Wrightsell fell awkwardly while contesting a shot in the first half against Grand Canyon in Alabama's Round of 32 game and was shortly after ruled out due a head injury. It came just a few weeks after Wrightsell sufferd a head injury at practice back in mid-Febraury that kept him out for four games and kept his minutes restricted in a fifth.

After the Crimson Tide's win over Grand Canyon, head coach Nate Oats was initially optimistic that Wrightsell would be able to play against North Carolina. As the week went on, he became much less sure. Wrightsell participated in shootarounds, but was considered 'day-to-day' based on re-evaluations with the training staff.

Wrightsell has been one of the most impactful players to Alabama's success this season. He averaged nine points per game and shoots over 44 percent from beyond the arc while being one of the Crimson Tide's best perimeter defenders. In games where Wrightsell has scored at least 10 points, Alabama has an undefeated record this season.

Tipoff between 4-seed Alabama and 1-seed North Carolina is set for 30 minutes after the conclusion of 2-seed Arizona vs 6-seed Clemson, or roughly around 8:40 p.m. CT. The game will air on CBS.