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Grant Nelson speaks on knee injury, availability for Round of 64 vs. Robert Morris
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Grant Nelson has been a vital cog in Nate Oats’s basketball machine in Tuscaloosa for the past few seasons, and right now that cog is on the mend.
The senior stalwart who leads second-seeded Alabama in rebounding (7.6) and blocks (1.2) is nursing a knee injury, and his status for Friday’s first-round NCAA Tournament game against 15th-seeded Robert Morris is very much in question. Earlier on Thursday, Oats met with reporters and discussed Nelson’s availability or lack thereof for the tournament opener in Cleveland. Oats said Nelson was day-to-day, was still doing workouts but did not participate in Thursday morning’s practice.
Nelson was up front about his plight, saying it “sucks” that he’s in this predicament at this very important time of the year. But he also has hope that he will be able to make a go of it on Friday, although he’s not going to risk hurting the team just to play.
“If I can help our team win, (I’ll) play … it’s a game-time decision right now,” said Nelson.
Nelson was injured during Alabama’s loss to Florida in the SEC Tournament semifinals last Saturday, and his absence was felt immediately as the Crimson Tide were steamrolled by the Gators in the second half.
Now, it remains to be seen whether this knee injury will keep Nelson from being able to contribute to Alabama’s latest NCAA Tournament run.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
