Nate Oats Names Player He Thinks Defends Most Consistently Among Alabama Guards

The Crimson Tide head coach sees effort and pride from one of the squad's veteran players on the defensive end.

Dec 29, 2025; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Yale Bulldogs guard Trevor Mullin (11) drives to the basket against Alabama Crimson Tide guard Latrell Wrightsell Jr. (3) during the second half at Coleman Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: David Leong-Imagn Images | David Leong-Imagn Images

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— Sixth-year Alabama basketball guard Latrell Wrightsell Jr. may not have played in Tuesday night's road win at Mississippi State, where head coach Nate Oats said Labaron Philon and Aden Holloway turned a corner on defense, but Oats still feels Wrightsell has been the team's most consistent defender at guard when he's been on the floor.

"Wrightsell, when he's healthy, able to move his feet. [He's] big, strong, puts his chest on guys," Oats said on Friday afternoon. "Always plays hard. He's at the top. Amari's [Allen] right there with him if you include him in the guard list. Kinda plays everywhere. I think both those guys give us the effort, the attention to detail, the pride on the defensive end every time out."

Wrightsell has missed the No. 18 Crimson Tide's last two games due to a right leg injury. He played 31 minutes in the Jan. 7 loss to Vanderbilt, scoring 13 points and recording a steal. He has nine steals through 10 games played this season.

Alabama (12-5, 2-2 SEC) snapped a two-game losing streak with its 97-82 triumph in Starkville and next faces Oklahoma on Saturday afternoon (12 p.m. CT). Oats did not seem overly optimistic that Wrightsell will be available in that contest.

"Latrell's improving," Oats said Friday. "He's doing some basketball workouts. Didn't practice today, so, nothing really further on him."

Defense from the Crimson Tide's guards has been a point of emphasis for the Alabama coaching staff. It was highlighted by Oats as a key piece to preventing star Mississippi State point guard Josh Hubbard from going off again in the scoring column (he finished with 23 points, but only after the Crimson Tide built a bigger lead than the margin it ended up winning the game by).

Wrightsell's three-point shot this season hasn't been what it was in the past; he's only converting at a 26.9 percent rate from beyond the arc during his final collegiate campaign, compared to 44.6 percent in his last full healthy season, 2023-24. He was hitting three-pointers at a 41.5 percent clip in a truncated 2024-25 season, going down with a ruptured Achilles eight games in.

Even with those offensive struggles, and the team hopeful that they will eventually be rectified, Wrightsell has played 30-plus minutes multiple times this calendar year alone. While he only has one 20-point game and averages 10.8 per contest, his defense has helped him continue to rack up minutes when he's able to go.

Alabama's game against Oklahoma will be bradcast before a national audience on the SEC Network. The Crimson Tide is 1-0 against the Sooners since Oklahoma joined the SEC, collecting a 107-79 home win in January of 2025.