Blinksportsnews247
On Thursday night, a March Madness star was born.
After joining the team in the spring with great expectations, Alabama forward Grant Nelson didn’t enjoy the season many had anticipated. But for coach Nate Oats, he chose the best moment to transform into a two-way beast, leading the Crimson Tide to their first Elite Eight since 2004.
Despite having a difficult start to the NCAA Tournament, Nelson took control in the second half of No. 4 seed Alabama’s 89-87 shock victory over No. 1 North Carolina. Nelson finished the game with 24 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 blocks.
During Alabama’s first two tournament games, Nelson only attempted one shot, going 1 for 7 overall and pulling down two rebounds. However, with his Sweet 16 performance on Thursday in Los Angeles, nobody will recall those stats.
Grant Nelson: who is he?
Prior to the 2023–24 season, Nelson, a senior forward, transferred from North Dakota State to Alabama. In fact, the 22-year-old was among the final impact transfers to decide in the 2023 offseason, deciding in late June to play for the Oats and the Tide.
Given that Nelson averaged 17.9 points and 9.3 rebounds per game while a junior with the Bison, earning positions on the All-Summit League defence team and All-Summit League team, it’s hardly surprising that major programmes were interested in him.
Grant Nelson is from where?
Born and raised in Devils Lake, North Dakota, Nelson attended North Dakota area, where he excelled, before deciding to stay in the area.
That could be part of the reason Nelson found it so hard to adjust to Alabama. While many clubs bring in elite players with the expectation of seeing results right away, Nelson faced a whole new kind of difficulty when he joined the Tide.
Throughout the year, there were ups and downs for the forward. But all that matters, for the time being at least, is his outstanding performance in the Sweet 16 against one of the nation’s top teams.
Blinksportsnews247
