When Grant Nelson made the decision to transfer from North Dakota to play for Alabama Crimson Tide and Nate Oats, there were huge expectations of him. He was averaging 17.9 points and 9.3 rebounds per game with the Bisons. Unfortunately, there was nothing of the defensive prowess Nelson was famous for in Dakota during his time with the Tide.

But he overcame all the odds tonight as Alabama crushed the No. 1 seed North Carolina to advance into the Elite Eight for the first time since 2004.

The first half saw both teams trading blows like nobody’s business. In the first 20 minutes, the two teams had a combined 100 points and shot well above 50% from the field. But towards the end, Alabama seemed to suffer a lapse as Tar Heels took complete advantage of the gap. It went like that in the second half too until a sudden change saw the Crimson Tide play with urgency.

Nelson Grant had entered the game and went on a 7-0 run on his own before North Carolina came right back with an 8-0. But Nelson wasn’t backing down tonight. His and-one layup saw the Tide with a 2-point lead. After that, it was a sealed deal. The Alabama Crimson Tide defeated the North Carolina Tar Heels 89-87.

Grant Nelson on brighter path toward draft

Grant finished the night with a game-high 24 points, 12 rebounds, five blocks and a steal. He also drained both the threes he attempted while going 10-of-13 from the free throw line. Of course, tonight was a much welcome surprise for the team. But Coach Oats knew what the 6’11 power forward was capable of. Although he had hit a wall after his transfer, it was clear that his coach’s confidence wasn’t lost.

And with good reason. As mentioned above, his stats from NDSU showed he was more than capable of doing damage when gets hot. Aside from the terrific numbers he averaged, Grant Nelson was also part of the All-Summit League and All-Summit League defensive team. He had also declared for the NBA draft in 2023 and attended the combine, but decided to return to college. Many basketball pundits had him as a second-round pick had he stayed.

It’s still not late and if tonight is a sign of the Grant Nelson comeback, there is no doubt that he will still be a top prospect for the next NBA draft!

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