Juwan Gary is slowly working his way back from an injury to his right ankle that has caused him to miss the last two games. Whether or not the forward will be able to recover in time for No. 10 Alabama basketball’s next game on Thursday is still uncertain.
Gary injured his ankle during the Crimson Tide’s win over South Dakota State on Nov. 12. The following day he had an MRI which head coach Nate Oats said didn’t show anything serious. Last week, Oats listed Gary as “day-to-day” heading into Alabama’s game against Oakland. The forward did not end up dressing out for the game and wore a boot on his right root.
“Juwan’s participating in some stuff in practice, so he’s more likely to play Thursday than he was last Friday,” Oats said Monday. “I’d say he’s still up in the air, but it’s looking better. Hopefully by Sunday for sure.”
Alabama will travel to Orlando, Fla., this week where it is set to play three games in the ESPN Events Invitational. The Tide will open up play in the tournament against Iona on Thursday at 4 p.m. CT. From there, it will play either Belmont or Drake on Friday.
Gary would certainly be a welcomed addition for Alabama heading into what should be a tough slate of games this week. The 6-foot-6, 218-pound forward is one of the Tide’s best defenders and got off to a solid start to the season, recording 12 points and 10 rebounds during the opener against Louisiana Tech.
“He goes out there and plays hard every play of the game,” Alabama guard Jaden Shackelford said of Gary. “He gives everything he has, a blue-collar guy to say the least. He does everything we need him to do. He’s been attacking his rehab to get back for this tournament, and he’s slowly progressing. I feel like he’s going to be ready when the time comes, and I feel like he’ll just pick up where he left off.
If Gary is forced to miss more time, Alabama will look to continue to lean on freshman center Charles Bediako to provide a defensive presence down low. The 7-footer has recorded eight blocks over his last two games and is averaging a team-high 2.3 blocks over his first four appearances.
Monday, Oats listed Bediako as one of the team’s three best defenders along with Gary and guard Keon Ellis.
“I think having Charles protect you at the rim makes up for mistakes,” Oats said. “Juwan was also able to do that, you know he reacts so quickly, he’s so athletic, big and strong. Whether Juwan’s in or out, having Charles in to anchor our defense is huge. But it is even more important with Juwan being out.”
Gary injured his ankle during the Crimson Tide’s win over South Dakota State on Nov. 12. The following day he had an MRI which head coach Nate Oats said didn’t show anything serious. Last week, Oats listed Gary as “day-to-day” heading into Alabama’s game against Oakland. The forward did not end up dressing out for the game and wore a boot on his right root.
“Juwan’s participating in some stuff in practice, so he’s more likely to play Thursday than he was last Friday,” Oats said Monday. “I’d say he’s still up in the air, but it’s looking better. Hopefully by Sunday for sure.”
Alabama will travel to Orlando, Fla., this week where it is set to play three games in the ESPN Events Invitational. The Tide will open up play in the tournament against Iona on Thursday at 4 p.m. CT. From there, it will play either Belmont or Drake on Friday.
Gary would certainly be a welcomed addition for Alabama heading into what should be a tough slate of games this week. The 6-foot-6, 218-pound forward is one of the Tide’s best defenders and got off to a solid start to the season, recording 12 points and 10 rebounds during the opener against Louisiana Tech.
“He goes out there and plays hard every play of the game,” Alabama guard Jaden Shackelford said of Gary. “He gives everything he has, a blue-collar guy to say the least. He does everything we need him to do. He’s been attacking his rehab to get back for this tournament, and he’s slowly progressing. I feel like he’s going to be ready when the time comes, and I feel like he’ll just pick up where he left off.
If Gary is forced to miss more time, Alabama will look to continue to lean on freshman center Charles Bediako to provide a defensive presence down low. The 7-footer has recorded eight blocks over his last two games and is averaging a team-high 2.3 blocks over his first four appearances.
Monday, Oats listed Bediako as one of the team’s three best defenders along with Gary and guard Keon Ellis.
“I think having Charles protect you at the rim makes up for mistakes,” Oats said. “Juwan was also able to do that, you know he reacts so quickly, he’s so athletic, big and strong. Whether Juwan’s in or out, having Charles in to anchor our defense is huge. But it is even more important with Juwan being out.”
