Nate Oats gives injury update on Grant Nelson: Will Alabama star play in NCAA Tournament?
Will Grant Nelson be back in time for Alabama basketball's NCAA Tournament opener against Robert Morris on Friday?
Nelson exited with a left knee injury late in the first half of the Crimson Tide's SEC Tournament loss to the Florida Gators on Saturday and did not return.
Alabama coach Nate Oats confirmed a report from CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein on Sunday that Nelson would see a knee specialist Monday for further evaluation. Oats didn't rule out a return for Nelson in time for Friday's first-round NCAA Tournament game against in Cleveland.
Oats told reporters after Alabama's NCAA Tournament draw was announced:
"We're hoping to get Grant back. He's going to see the knee specialist tomorrow morning and get a better idea of a timeframe on getting him back. But he's walking today. Swollen, but hopefully he'll be back by the first round."
Nelson checked out of the game with 3:40 to play against Florida in what was a tight game at the time; Alabama led 42-41. Without Nelson, the Gators ran away in the second half en route to a 104-82 victory.
Oats told reporters after the game that the team did not expect the injury to be "anything with an ACL or anything like that."
Nelson is second on the Crimson Tide in scoring at 11.8 points per game and leads the team in rebounds (7.6 per night). He was an integral part of Alabama's run to the Final Four last season, especially in the Crimson Tide's 89-87 upset of No. 1 seed North Carolina in the Sweet 16.
Nelson led all scorers with 24 points and 12 rebounds to go with five blocks. He converted a go-ahead three-point play with 39 seconds left and sank two free throws with eight seconds to play.
Alabama earned the No. 2 seed in the East Region of Sunday's NCAA Tournament bracket reveal.
This article originally appeared on Roll Tide Wire: Alabama basketball coach Nate Oats updates Grant Nelson's injury
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