Dom Welch injury update from Nate Oats before Alabama basketball vs. Liberty

Alabama basketball guard Dom Welch is doubtful to play vs. Liberty, coach Nate Oats said Thursday.

The St. Bonaventure transfer missed the Longwood game with a lower leg injury. Welch was in street clothes the whole game and did not warm up.

Alabama (1-0) will face Liberty (1-0) on Friday (7 p.m., SEC Network+) at Coleman Coliseum.

"He's trying to get back in practice a little bit more, but it's coming slow," Oats said. "We just want him to take the time he needs to to fully heal. We need him fully healthy as quick as we can get him fully healthy. We don't want him partially healthy for a long time. We'd like to get him back fully healthy. Doubtful for this game. Hopeful for next week. We'll see what he feels like tomorrow morning."

Welch is a 6-foot-5, 205-pound graduate transfer from Buffalo, New York. He brings plenty of experience with 110 games in total and 105 starts over the past four seasons.

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Last year, he averaged 12.3 points, 6 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.3 steals per games over 33 starts.

He's expected to help Alabama's three-point shooting, an area that has been a struggle to start the year. The Crimson Tide shot 3-for-28 in the 75-54 win over Longwood on Monday. The struggles from beyond the arc were a continuation from going 3-for-22 in the charity exhibition the week prior against Southern Illinois.