Nate Oats has had to navigate through a lot of injuries in non-conference play. He's gotten quite good at it.
Outside of freshman big man Collins Onyejiaka, Oats had his full complement of players during Saturday's loss to Arizona, though several were far from full strength. When Alabama returns to the hardwood on Wednesday night against South Florida, it looks like it will be far from full-strength.
During an appearance on the Hey Coach radio show on Monday night, Oats revealed that guys like Aden Holloway and Keitenn Bristow are still less than 100%, which could impact their ability to play on Wednesday.
But he also revealed a new injury. Star freshman Amari Allen, who has been one of the most pleasant surprises on this year's team, is dealing with a hip-pointer, according to Oats.
Freshman Amari Allen has a hip-pointer.
"He’s pretty tender to touch," Oats said, via 247's Mike Rodak. "We’ve got to get him healthy. ... His hip is really bothering him."
Alabama freshman Amari Allen has a hip pointer
Allen has been a key player for the Crimson Tide in non-conference play, immediately outplaying his recruiting ranking as Oats said he would in the preseason. He's averaged over 10 points and seven rebounds per game while dishing out over three assists.
A hip-pointer can be a tricky injury, depending on the severity. Minor ones clear up relatively quickly, and he could be back close to 100% after a week or so. More severe ones can linger, and it could ultimately be something that impacts him for the remainder of the season.
How much time, if any, that Allen misses going forward depends on the seriousness of the injury. But it would seem unlikely at this point that Allen will be able to play against South Florida.
Alabama's non-conference schedule finally lightens up over the final two weeks before SEC play begins in early January. Alabama faces USF (86th in KenPom), Kennessaw State (168th), and Yale (78th) in their final three non-conference matchups.
It will be pivotal to get Allen - and everyone else - healthy by the time Kentucky comes to Coleman Coliseum on January 3rd. Oats has enough horses to navigate these final three games without any guys who are dealing with any lingering issues.