Alabama forward availability for the first round of the NCAA tournament remains uncertain after visiting a knee specialist on Monday.
“We need to get him healthy. Not sure he’ll be ready by Friday,” head coach Nate Oats said on his Hey Coach radio show Monday night. “We’re hoping he’ll at least be ready by Sunday, with a chance he could play Friday.”
Nelson sustained the knee injury during Alabama’s SEC tournament semifinal loss to Florida on Saturday. On Sunday, Oats mentioned that Nelson’s knee was swollen, prompting further evaluation from a specialist the following day.
“We dodged a bullet—it’s nothing too serious,” Oats added Monday. “But he’s definitely questionable for Friday.”
No. 2 seed Alabama is set to face No. 15 seed Robert Morris on Friday at 11:40 a.m. CT at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland. If the Crimson Tide advances, they’ll take on the winner of No. 7 seed Saint Mary’s vs. No. 10 seed Vanderbilt in Sunday’s second round.
Nelson dealt with a similar knee injury against Arkansas State in December 2023 and returned five days later to play against Purdue. The fifth-year senior is Alabama’s second-leading scorer, averaging 11.8 points per game, and leads the team in rebounding with 7.6 per contest.
