Steele not likely to play against Ole Miss
TUSCALOOSA | University of Alabama head basketball coach Mark Gottfried said Monday that Crimson Tide point guard Ronald Steele was unlikely to play in Wednesday night’s Southeastern Conference home game against Ole Miss -- and that discussions were ongoing about Ronald Steele’s status for the rest of the season.
“I would say right now that he is very doubtful [for the Ole Miss game]," Gottfried said at his Monday press conference.
Ronald Steele, who has been bothered all season by ankle and knee injuries, started last Saturday’s game against Auburn but came out of the game almost immediately.
Ronald Steele’s most recent relapse, which began during the Tide’s loss at Tennessee last Wednesday, has also cast doubt on his status for the remainder of the season.
“What we have to do is make a determination about Ronald," Gottfried said. “We all want him to play. His teammates are all for him. In the Kentucky game, he was playing well and that was just a week ago. But against Tennessee and Auburn, he has been very, very limited.
“We have to know where we stand. That has been a topic of discussion today with me, our [team] doctors, [Ronald Steele] and his family," Gottfried said. “We hope to decide in the next 24 hours."
Gottfried said the uncertainty about Ronald Steele’s status hurt the Crimson Tide team in last Saturday’s 86-77 loss to Auburn.
“The team wants to know," Gottfried said. “Sometimes you can take a wing player out of the lineup and put another player in there without much change, but when it’s your point guard, it affects everything."
The Crimson Tide, which slipped to 6-8 in SEC play and 19-9 overall, fell out of the AP Top 25 for the first time this season following last week’s losses to Tennessee and Auburn.
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