What started as a routine first half suddenly took an uncomfortable turn for Alabama, as one of its key frontcourt pieces quietly made his way off the floor. The Crimson Tide bench immediately went into adjustment mode, and concern replaced momentum as the situation unfolded in real time.

Alabama sophomore forward Aiden Sherrell had his night cut short in the first half against Kentucky after what looked like a right knee injury. Trainers checked on him on the floor before helping him off and sending him back to the locker room. Sherrell was still in uniform and joined the team huddle before the second half, but he never came back out for the quick warmup.

“We just didn’t want to risk it,” HC Nate Oats said during the post-game conference. “He’s going to get a test tomorrow. It’s his knee. Don’t think it’s anything serious. We’re thinking he’s going to be able to play against Vandy. We wanted to make sure he got more tests on our off day tomorrow before we make a decision on his availability moving forward for next week.”

Before going down, Sherrell chipped in three points on 1-of-3 shooting, with both misses coming from beyond the arc. He also pulled down three boards, handed out two assists, and swatted a shot in just nine minutes of action. Heading into Saturday, Sherrell was averaging 9.2 points while shooting 51.1 percent from the floor, along with 6.2 rebounds per game. He’d been especially active on the glass, grabbing 2.6 offensive rebounds, and had led the SEC with 2.9 blocks per contest.

His absence prompted Nate Oats to turn to Keitenn Bristow and Bucknell transfer Noah Williamson to steady the frontcourt rotation. Oats’ side went on to win 89–74, extending its winning streak over Mark Pope’s team to four straight and reinforcing its status as a national contender.

Even so, much of the attention stayed on Sherrell, as fans couldn’t shake the concern given his injury history. Knee issues lingered throughout his freshman season and have continued to follow him into this year. Back then, Alabama had managed stretches without him thanks to Clifford Omoruyi’s presence.

However, Sherrell’s health remains something to be closely monitored. After all, this was not the first time Sherrell exited a game early. A similar situation occurred against Arizona, which Oats later described as cramps.

Besides Sherrell, forward Amari Allen also had to go through an injury scare.

Shortly before Sherrell exited, Alabama forward Amari Allen also hit the floor, clutching his lower leg near the foot and ankle. Trainer Clarke Holter and Oats rushed over to him and then escorted him straight to the locker room. Allen eventually shook it off, checking back in near the end of the first half and staying on the court after the break.

“Amari was able to play through an ankle sprain,” Oats said. “I talked to Dr. Cain after. He’s going to be real sore for a few days. We’ll probably sit him until Vanderbilt, and he’ll be able to go.”

The hope is that neither Amari’s nor Sherrell’s setback will turn into anything long-term. Alabama was already dealing with uncertainty up front, with forward Taylor Bol Bowen listed as questionable on Friday’s availability report and not officially cleared until right before tipoff. Although he went through warmups and suited up, he never saw the floor.

“Taylor, Dr. Waldrep came in and did a whole evaluation yesterday on him,” Oats said. “He just wasn’t quite ready but available if needed. And I think the job Noah Williamson did made it so that we could sit Taylor one more game. But he got a big jumpstart on his treatment. He had a sprained ankle in practice a few days ago.”

Clearly, Alabama cannot afford two more names on the injury list, even as Noah Williamson emerged as an unexpected hero, sparking hopes.

Noah Williamson Brings Stability Upfront

Noah Williamson undoubtedly had the best game of the season today against Kentucky – 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 10 points. Over the last few games, his impact hadn’t been noticeable, but all that changed when it mattered the most against Kentucky.

“To be honest, I really wanted to beat Kentucky,” Williamson said. “We played them last year at Bucknell, and we lost pretty badly. This is probably my last opportunity to play them.”

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Nate Oats also made sure to praise him, saying, “He’s talented. We’ve got to get his confidence going. He needed this game in a big way. Huge for him.”

Williamson found ways to make an impact all over the floor. A slick reverse finish and a strong dunk pushed him into double figures, while his effort on the glass showed up with two offensive boards. On one of those, he kicked the ball out to Houston Mallette, who knocked down a three.

When the action paused, Oats walked over and dapped him up near midcourt, sharing a quick moment after the sequence.

“We’ve been asking for those types of plays from some other guys in the front court,” Oats said. “He brought it for us. That might have been the most excited I was the whole game.”

After the Kentucky win, the moment carried into the video room. Oats recognized Amari Allen with the hard-hat honor for doing the kind of grunt work that doesn’t always show up in the box score. Allen, though, didn’t keep it long. He turned and handed it off to Williamson instead.

“We,” Oats said, “don’t win the game without him.”