The Alabama Crimson Tide basketball team may be short-handed when they host the Ole Miss Rebels in a highly anticipated Top 25 matchup on Tuesday night. According to the latest availability report, the team will likely be without Houston Mallette, who has been dealing with lingering knee issues.
Mallette, a senior transfer from Pepperdine, missed the previous game against Texas A&M and may potentially miss the remainder of the season. The Crimson Tide is exploring the option of a medical redshirt for Mallette, which would allow him to preserve his eligibility for the next season.
However, the bigger concern for Alabama is the unexpected listing of freshman wing Derrion Reid as questionable for the game. Reid had missed the South Dakota State game a couple of weeks ago due to an ankle injury but had played in the last three games without showing any signs of lingering issues.
The reason for Reid’s questionable status is unknown, as head coach Nate Oats did not provide any updates during his media availability on Monday. If Reid is unable to play, Alabama’s already thin depth chart will take another hit.
With Mallette and Reid potentially out, Alabama will have only nine available scholarship players. The team is already dealing with the season-ending injury to Latrell Wrightsell and the decision to redshirt freshman Naas Cunningham.
To compensate for the potential loss of Reid, Alabama may rely on sophomores Jarin Stevenson and Mo Dioubate to log more minutes. While the team’s quality depth will be tested, dressing only nine scholarship players can become a challenge if foul trouble becomes an issue, as it did in the previous game against Texas A&M.
Despite these challenges, Alabama will look to bounce back from their loss to Texas A&M and secure a crucial win against Ole Miss. The game promises to be an exciting matchup between two top-ranked teams, and Alabama’s ability to adapt to their injury issues will be crucial in determining the outcome.
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