Nate Oats breaks down 2025-2026 Alabama basketball roster, gives health updates for 2 key players

Of the returning players, only sophomore guard Aden Holloway and freshman forward Aiden Sherrell ended last season healthy. Guard Houston Mallette missed all but six games while recovering from an offseason knee injury, then guard Latrell Wrightsell suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon during a November game vs. Oregon.

Oats said Alabama has submitted paperwork to the SEC to obtain a medical redshirt for Mallette — who was a senior last year — but doesn’t “anticipate there being any issues there.” He said that Wrightsell is working daily with Crimson Tide trainer Clarke Holter and is “way ahead of schedule” in his recovery.

“He’s in there; Clarke says he’s working super-hard,” Oats said of Wrightsell, who was averaging 11.5 points per game at the time of his injury. “He’s doing everything he needs to do, so we anticipate him being fully ready to go by first game.

“He’s already jumping, they cleared him to jump. He’s been up here at Andrews (Sports Medicine in Birmingham). Dr. (Norman) Waldrop is really pleased with where he’s at.”

Alabama’s three freshman signees were all four-star, Top 100 recruits according to the various scouting services. Forward London Jemison — a 6-foot-7 forward from Connecticut — is probably the most high-profile, though 6-4 guard Davion Hannah and 6-5 wing Amari Allen — both Wisconsin natives — are also highly regarded.

Oats said all three freshmen possess what he prizes in recruits — “positional size, length, shooting, athleticism.”

“London Jemison had a really good year,” Oats said. “He shot really well, got really good size, kind of played (both forward positions). Amari Allen and Davion Hannah, both, I think they’re guys we’re looking for, the kind of guys that have been good in our system — 6-6, 6-7, guard/wing, create advantages.”