Latrell Wrightsell Reflects on Transferring to Alabama Basketball

The former Cal State Fullerton guard became one of the most important pieces of Alabama's first-ever Final Four team.

One of the most important pieces of Alabama basketball's first-ever Final Four team has been senior guard Latrell Wrightsell Jr.

Wrightsell transferred to Alabama last offseason after spending three years at Cal State Fullerton, making a name for himself in the Big West conference and being named a first team All-Big West performer in his junior season.

In the locker room after Alabama's win over Clemson in the Elite Eight, Wrightsell reflected on his decision to move 2,000 miles east to Tuscaloosa.

“I really think it’s been the biggest blessing for me. I just can’t thank God enough for that," Wrightsell said. "Transitioning over here, they were talking about how we were a rebuilding team, we had a lot of mid-major guards, people didn’t trust in us. Coach Oats is a really great coach, he pushes us, he never makes it easy, and that’s what I came to do. Once he made it not easy for me and challenged me I got better.”

It took a while before Wrightsell came into his own and found his role. He didn't score double figures in a single game through the first two months of the season, but once SEC play rolled around he settled in comfortably and confidently. Over 15 regular season games in SEC play, Wrightsell scored double-figures in eight of them. Alabama has never lost a game this year in which Wrightsell scores at least 10 points.

“I just grew mentally tougher," Wrightsell said. "[Oats] plays a lot of games with you mentally that you’ve got to overcome. But that also continues to make you get in the lab more and want it more. He’s made me a better person on the court, mentally, I can handle adversity now.”

As important as Wrightsell has been to this team over the course of the season, he's also had to miss some time due to two stints of a head injury. The first injury suffered in mid-February caused him to miss four straight games and have his minutes restricted in a fifth. Alabama went 2-3 in those games.

But when that head injury was re-aggravated against Grand Canyon in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, it hasn't yet spelled trouble for Alabama. The Crimson Tide has won every game since Wrightsell has gone out, keeping its season alive.

“They show a lot of heart," Wrightsell said. "It shows that we can do a lot of things, even when we’re missing players. That shows how good our coaching staff is, and how good our players are. We got a really talented team, we go real deep and we’ve shown that over the course of the tournament.”

While Wrightsell is a senior, he still has an extra year of eligibility that would allow him to come back to Alabama for one more season if he chose to do so. But right now, he's working on preparing for the Final Four with his teammates, and trying to get back on the court against No. 1 UConn.

"I haven't really thought about it yet, I'm just stuck in the moment," Wrightsell said. "I'll make that decision probably after the season, but I'm just ready to get back on the court and play on [Saturday]."