Alabama star Collin Sexton suspended vs. Memphis, but will return for Lipscomb game

The Alabama Crimson Tide received some... good news about their star freshman on Thursday. The program, in a release, announced that star freshman Collin Sexton will only serve a one-game suspension for their season opener against the Memphis Tigers. Sexton, a five-star recruit and likely lottery pick next year, will return for their home opener against the Lipscomb Bison.

Sexton had been ineligible as recently as the beginning of this week. His reinstatement to the NCAA likely coincides with the FBI investigation into the world of college basketball. It stems from a relationship with Kobie Baker, who of course resigned from his post as associate AD back in September.

His reinstatement to the team on Monday is a big lift for Alabama. The Tide were expected to be a tournament team with him aboard, as he along with Braxton Key and the rest of the bunch were a team expected to rise in 2017. Avery Johnson has certainly built up enough prowess over the years, but the prospect of not having the talented Sexton around made it harder to believe good things were going to happen this year. Now, though, ‘Bama hoops fans can breathe a sigh of relief.

And really, so should college hoops fans in general. A player of Collin Sexton’s ability is someone you want to see on the floor. He’ll likely be headed to the pros next year, so missing out on him this year would’ve been a shame. Luckily, that won’t be the case. The Tide will miss him against Memphis on Friday, but the star youngster will make his awaited debut in Tuscaloosa next week. From there, we’ll see what he can bring to the table. Because there’s certainly a lot of promise and upside on the horizon if he plays up to par.