True freshman Derrion Reid missed four consecutive games in January for Alabama basketball before returning for the Crimson Tide's last two wins over Mississippi State and Georgia. He played limited minutes, but it was great to see him back on the court.
Unfortunately, it looks like Reid is going to miss more time as Nate Oats provided an update on his freshman ahead of the game against Arkansas on Saturday in Fayetteville.
Derrion Reid will be out vs. Arkansas and game-to-game moving forward until he can go through a full practice and not experience any significant discomfort, Oats said
— Nick Kelly (@_NickKelly) February 7, 2025
Oats went on to say that Alabama is prioritizing Reid's long-term health instead of risking further injury. Reid was a five-star prospect in the 2024 recruiting cycle and most mock draft have him as a second round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. He has a future playing basketball and Oats and company are being careful so as to not cause him an issue that will linger long-term for him.
It's a concerning update from Oats, though, as it sounds like this could turn into another long-term injury for a team that has had significant injury issues.
Alabama lost Latrell Wrightsell to a season-ending injury back in December. Pepperdine transfer Houston Mallette has had lingering knee issues and appears to be back in line for a redshirt after burning the expected redshirt following the injury to Wrightsell.
Now Reid could miss some significant time. Alabama's depth has been a real weapon for them this year, but their rotation will be down to nine players as long as Reid is out.
Reid has averaged 17 minutes per game during his freshman year. He's averaged 7.2 points and 3.4 rebounds per game in those minutes. He has struggled shooting the ball, connecting on only 25% of his attempts from three. But he has been an impactful player with his ability to defend multiple positions, rebound, and attack the rim offensively.
Alabama will be fine running a nine-man rotation, but any further injuries to this team will make depth become an issue for a team that began the year with arguably the deepest roster in the country.