Alabama basketball will be without one of its better players for a third game in a row. Derrion Reid, still dealing with a lingering hamstring issue, will miss Tuesday’s matchup with Mississippi State.
Crimson Tide head coach Nate Oats announced the news during a Monday press conference. He said Reid had taken a trip to Birmingham to see a specialist.
“He’s improving, progressing, getting better and he’ll be evaluated week-to-week,” Oats said. “But not gonna go tomorrow. So he’s out, but they thought he looked good, so he’s coming along.”
Reid missed significant time with the injury, before briefly returning to action against Auburn. The freshman forward played five minutes in that game, but reaggravated the injury.
Oats announced his absence ahead of Alabama’s loss to Missouri. He also was out for the Tide’s win over Kentucky on Saturday.
“I think he’s going to be a pro,” Oats said before the Missouri game. “He came in a McDonald’s all-American, he’s got all the intangibles, as far as tough, great attitude, high IQ, he’s athletic, a lot of the stuff that pros are looking for. We really don’t want to hurt his long-term career by rushing something to win a game or two.”
Reid has averaged 7.1 points and 3.2 rebounds when he has been on the court this season. His biggest game of the year came against Creighton in December, when he put up 12 points and four rebounds.
He also give the Crimson Tide athletic length on the defensive end of the court, something Oats has said UA has missed in his absence.
Alabama and Mississippi State faced off earlier this season in Starkville. The Crimson Tide came out on top in that matchup against the Bulldogs, now ranked No. 24 in the nation.
The rematch is scheduled for 8 p.m. CT Tuesday in Coleman Coliseum. The game will be aired on ESPN2.
