Incoming Alabama Basketball Transfer Undergoes Surgery After Foot Injury

Alabama guard Jalil Bethea is expected to miss some time with after suffering a foot injury during a recent practice, per Yea Alabama.

“Jalil Bethea injured his left foot during practice this week, which required surgery to repair," Alabama head coach Nate Oats told Yea Alabama. The procedure was performed by Dr. Norman Waldrop with Andrews Sports Medicine on Friday, Sept. 19th in Birmingham. While there is no timetable for Bethea’s return, we do not anticipate this injury is season ending and we expect him to return this year.”

Bethea transferred to Alabama from Miami on April 6. He is one of the Crimson Tide's five 2025-26 offseason transfer additions.

In 31 games (16 starts) last season in 18.9 minutes per game, Bethea averaged 7.1 points on 36.8 percent from the field and 32.6 percent from deep, with 2.1 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 0.6 steals. Nevertheless, last was a season to forget for the Hurricanes as Miami finished 7-24 (3-17 ACC).

The highly touted transfer portal target chose Alabama over Kansas State, NC State and a potential return to the Hurricanes. Bethea will be a sophomore in 2025-26 after spending his first collegiate year in Miami.

The 6-foot-5, 190-pounder was a 5-star recruit ranked as the No. 7 prospect in the 2024 class, the No. 3 shooting guard and the No. 1 player in the state of Pennsylvania, per 247 Sports.

Perhaps most notably, Bethea was a McDonald's All-American on Team East. He faced off against 2024-25 Crimson Tide forwards Aiden Sherrell and Derrion Reid on Team West on April 2, 2024. Sherrell is officially returning for 2025-26 and will be teammates with Bethea, but Reid transferred to Oklahoma.

With Bethea out for an extended period of time, Alabama has six guards on its 2025-26 roster: returners Labaron Philon (sophomore), Aden Holloway (junior), medical redshirts Latrell Wrightsell Jr. and Houston Mallette, plus incoming freshman Davion Hannah and transfer Preston Murphy Jr.

Expect a couple of these players to see an increase in playing time, especially Mallette off the bench.

The graduate guard initially joined now-UNLV guard Naas Cunningham as the other Alabama
redshirt last season, but that changed once guard Latrell Wrightsell Jr. ruptured his Achilles on Nov. 30. Mallette filled Wrightsell's spot on the roster, but was back on the redshirt after six games due to lingering knee injuries.

Who else could step up in Bethea's place?