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Though Alabama escaped with a 90-81 win over Robert Morris in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, it nearly became the latest victim of college basketball's next Cinderella story. The Crimson Tide gutted out the victory without forward Grant Nelson for most of the game, who all but forced Nate Oats to give him seven minutes in crunch time.
Grant, who entered the game with a knee injury, was made available but did not start. Oats revealed that the original plan was to allow him to rest, but the senior practically forced his hand with Alabama struggling late.
“We were hoping not to play Grant,” Oats said in his on-court post-game interview, via On3 Sports. “I think it was a four-point game, about eight minutes to go and he stood up like, ‘Put me in.'… I trust him. He shows up in big games… I think he'll be alright. We got to get him a bunch of rehab because we're for sure going to need him.”
In just seven minutes, Nelson recorded five points, three rebounds and one steal. His energy on both ends of the court was crucial to Alabama regaining the momentum required to stifle Robert Morris down the stretch and avoid a major upset loss.
In Nelson's absence, Jarin Stevenson earned the spot start alongside Mark Sears, Clifford Omoruyi, Chris Youngblood and Labaron Philon. Sophomore Mouhamed Dioubate also received an additional run, recording an 18-point, 10-rebound double-double in 21 minutes off the bench.
Alabama forward Grant Nelson speaks on late-game heroics
Nelson added his own perspective on his late substitution in the locker room after the game. The forward added that the plan was always to sub him in if Alabama “needed” him and reiterated his coach's story about how the move came to be.
“It was kind of like if we needed me at the end, then I'd come in,” Nelson said, via The Next Round. “I'm not going to let this be the last game of our season. For how much work we put in and how hard we work, I feel like we have such a high potential. When they started going on a run, me and Oats made eye contact; I said I'm good, and then he subbed me in.”
“I’m not gonna let this be the last game of our season.”
Grant Nelson said when Robert Morris started going on a run he and Nate Oats made eye contact — that’s when Nelson was subbed into the game. pic.twitter.com/hoauyu0Ui7
— The Next Round (@NextRoundLive) March 21, 2025
Nelson said his goal was to enter the game and change the pace with his physical inside presence. He did so successfully, catching a lob from Aden Holloway in one of his first plays back.
Despite being slowed by injury late in the year, Oats is second on the team with 11.8 points per game. He also leads them on the glass with 7.6 rebounds per game, an area where the Crimson Tide struggled against Robert Morris.
With the win, Alabama advances to the second round of the NCAA Tournament to face either Vanderbilt or St. Mary's. The Round of 32 game will tip off on Sunday afternoon from the Rocket Arena.
