Grant Nelson injury update: Alabama NIL collective reveals forward's status for Robert Morris game

On Thursday, Alabama’s NIL collective, Yea Alabama, announced Crimson Tide forward Grant Nelson is day-to-day and will be a game-time decision for the team’s first-round matchup against Robert Morris on Friday. Nelson suffered a knee injury in the first half of Alabama’s loss to Florida in the SEC Tournament semifinals on Saturday.

Nelson limped to the locker room after leaving the game and sat for the remainder of the game. Before leaving the game, tallied nine points, three rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal. Earlier this week, Alabama head coach Nate Oats provided further details on Nelson’s injury.

“We need to get him healthy,” Oats said on Hey Coach. “Not sure he’ll be ready by Friday. We’re hoping, at a minimum, he’ll be ready by Sunday with the possibility of maybe Friday. But I thought he played really well. We dodged one. It wasn’t anything too serious with his knee but for sure will be questionable for that first game Friday.”

Nelson’s absence would be a major blow to the Crimson Tide. The 6-foot-11 senior is averaging 11.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 52.8% from the field and 27.4% from beyond the arc.

Nelson proved pivotal to Alabama’s run to the Final Four last season and the Crimson Tide will need him to find similar success this year. On Wednesday, ESPN’s Ron Slay compared the effect of Nelson’s absence to Duke‘s Cooper Flagg.

“To me, in that East Region, he has the same impact on Alabama as Cooper Flagg has on Duke,” Slay said. “Duke can get back with talent and the style they play. Alabama can get by.

“But when you need that X-factor — not saying he’s up there in potential with the NBA, No. 1 pick, and things like that when you talk about Cooper Flagg. But as far as impact, what he brings to that team… you got to have a Grant Nelson.”

Evidently, oddsmakers aren’t too concerned about Alabama escaping the first round. According to FanDuel, the Crimson Tide are 22.5-point favorites against Robert Morris. Moreover, Alabama is currently listed with -7000 odds on the money line.

Fans won’t have to wait much longer to find out if Grant Nelson will be available for Alabama in the first round. On Friday, the Crimson Tide and Robert Morris will square off at 12:40 p.m. ET. The game will air live on TruTV.