Is Grant Nelson playing today vs St. Mary's? All we know about Alabama star's March Madness availability
Grant Nelson and the No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide defeated No. 15 Robert Morris in the first round on Friday. While the Crimson Tide were happy to advance, overcoming the 15 seed 90-81 was an underwhelming result. The Crimson Tide are now set for a tougher matchup in the second round against No. 7 St. Mary's on Sunday.
Nelson typically starts for the Crimson Tide, but he has played limited minutes in each of their last two games because of a sore knee. The Tide did not initially plan to play him against Robert Morris and chose to rest him against an opponent they should have beaten easily.
However, with the lead starting to dwindle late in the game, the coaching staff put Nelson in the game, and he scored five points in seven minutes. Against a more formidable opponent in St. Mary's in the second round, Grant Nelson is expected to play and likely take his normal starting role.
Is Grant Nelson playing today?
Yes, Grant Nelson is expected to play today against St. Mary's. He is not listed on the injury report and only did not start against Robert Morris as a precaution. The coaching staff has not said explicitly that he will start, but that is what fans should expect.
On Saturday, Nelson spoke to the media about his status.
"I mean, I'm feeling pretty good, so I'm sure it's going to be the same - like where I'm pretty much questionable, and it's going to be day-to-day," Nelson said. "But I'm going to see how I feel, and it's going to be a game-time decision. But I'm going to stick with my rehab plan, and it seems to be working."
While Nelson said Saturday he would be a game-time decision, he is not listed on the injury report. So, it is highly likely that he will play against St. Mary's.
What to expect from Grant Nelson and the Alabama Crimson Tide vs the St. Mary's Gaels
Fans should expect a much closer matchup than either Alabama or St. Mary's dealt with in round one. Alabama enters the game as a -240 favorite and St. Mary's as a +195 underdog.
If Nelson is fully healthy and plays a normal amount of minutes, it will be a big boost for the Crimson Tide. He is the team's second-leading scorer and by far its leading rebounder. The game is scheduled for 6:10 p.m. ET on Sunday.