Grant Nelson Did It All to Lead Alabama Past North Carolina

Alabama beat No. 1 seed North Carolina in an instant classic Thursday night. It was a high-octane, back-and-forth Sweet 16 matchup that ended with the No. 4 seed Crimson Tide on top, 89-87. Grant Nelson's teammates can thank him for their spot in the West region final, as the senior stepped up and did everything Alabama needed him to.

A transfer from North Dakota State, Nelson stepped up with one of the best second half performances in recent NCAA tournament history. That's not hyperbole. He had five points, six rebounds and two blocks in the first half as the Tar Heels went to the break up 54-46. The 6-foot-11 forward came out of the locker room after intermission and took over the game.

Nelson racked up 19 points, six rebounds, an assist and three blocks in 19 minutes, as the Crimson Tide outscored North Carolina 43-33 in the second half. Overall, he finished with a season-high 24 points, 12 rebounds, five blocks and a steal. He also hit both three-pointers he attempted and went 10-of-13 from the free throw line. It wasn't just that Nelson put up numbers, he made huge plays.

North Carolina led 77-75 until Nelson hit two free throws to tie the game with 4:56 remaining. On Alabama's next possession, he made a layup to give his squad a 79-77 lead with 4:23 to go. Following a North Carolina turnover on the next possession, he knocked down a three-pointer to give the Crimson Tide an 82-77 lead with 3:46 left. After North Carolina made a run to edge in front 85-84, Nelson made a layup through contact and converted a three-point play to put Alabama up 87-85 with 39 seconds remaining. On the next possession, he blocked RJ Davis' tying layup attempt with 25 seconds to go and followed that up by making two clutch free throws with eight seconds left. Then, after he missed two free throws with just more than one second on the clock, he deflected Harrison Ingram's desperation heave as time expired. To be clear, that's just everything he did in the final five minutes of the game.

Nelson was everywhere and was everything Alabama needed him to be, especially in the biggest moments. A former Mr. Basketball in North Dakota, he spent his first three seasons at North Dakota State. Nelson was named first team All-Summit League in 2023, and decided to hit the transfer portal to look for greener pastures. He committed to Alabama, and it's not hard to understand why. His inside-out versatility meshes perfectly with head coach Nate Oats' scheme. Nelson was team's third-leading scorer this season, averaging 11.4 points per game and adding 5.4 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per contest. He played far better than his season averages on Thursday night.

The Crimson Tide are back in the Elite Eight for the first time in 20 years and only the second time ever. Grant Nelson made all the plays to get them there.

Ryan Phillips is a senior writer for The Big Lead.