Grant Nelson injury update: Nate Oats offers uneven news on Alabama star ahead of March Madness

Following Saturday’s SEC tournament loss to Florida, Alabama coach Nate Oats confirmed Grant Nelson is dealing with a knee injury after leaving in the first half. He also doesn’t think it’s an ACL issue, and he’s hopeful Nelson can return for the first round of the NCAA tournament.

Nelson left in the first half of the loss and didn’t return after suffering the injury. He played 10 minutes before his departure, totaling nine points and three rebounds.

Alabama will find out its NCAA tournament fate on Sunday during the selection show. While Nelson’s exact diagnosis is up in the air, Oats said he’s remaining hopeful about his status for March Madness ahead of Sunday’s bracket reveal.

Nate Oats said Grant Nelson is dealing with a knee injury. He's not sure what it is but doesn't think it's an ACL or anything like that.

"Hopefully we get him back for the first round of the NCAA Tournament."

— Charlie Potter (@Charlie_Potter) March 15, 2025

“He’s got a knee injury, and I’m not exactly sure what it is,” Oats said. “I don’t think they’re thinking it to be anything with an ACL or anything like that. He got evaluated by the team doctor at half, and then they let us know at the beginning of the second half that he wasn’t going to be able to go. Hopefully, we get him back for the first round of the NCAA tournament.

“Shoot, we were up one [point] when he went out, and then got outscored 63-40 after that. That wasn’t all him, but we were right in the game until he went out. I thought with the guys we had in the second half, we still should’ve been able to stay in the game, make a run at trying to get the win without him. But obviously, a lot tougher without him, especially the way he was playing to start the game out.”

Nelson was initially declared questionable to return, according to Alabama Athletics, before ultimately missing the rest of Saturday’s game. He entered the matchup averaging 11.9 points along with a team-leading 7.8 rebounds. He’s also one of the Crimson Tide’s best shooters, making 52.7% of his shots entering the SEC tournament semifinal.

Alabama trailed Florida by two points at halftime, but the Gators kicked things into high gear out of the break to take full control. They outscored the Crimson Tide 57-37 in the second half to come away with the resounding 104-82 victory.

Walter Clayton Jr. led the charge for UF as one of six players to reach double figures. He poured in 22 points on 7-of-16 shooting, including 6-of-11 from three-point territory, while adding six assists. Will Richard and Alijah Martin both added 16 points, as well.

Perhaps the biggest key to victory, though, was the rebounding advantage. Florida pulled down 43 boards, including 13 on the offensive glass and turned those into 13 second-chance points. The Gators defense was also stifling, recording eight steals and four blocks while scoring 12 points off 10 Crimson Tide turnovers.

Florida’s defense struggled to contain Alabama in the first half, but completely flipped the script in the second half after Grant Nelson missed the remainder of the game with his injury. The Crimson Tide made just 34.4% of their shots in in the second half, including a 6-of-18 showing from deep, and struggled to keep pace with Florida’s dominant effort on the other side.

Chris Youngblood led Alabama in scoring with 14 points, while Mouhamed Dioubate and Clifford Omoruyi both added 12. As a group, the Crimson Tide shot 41.8% from the floor after struggling mightily after halftime.