What Nate Oats Wants from Grant Nelson to Be at His Best

Alabama basketball's second-leading scorer hasn't finished in double figures in four of the last five games.

Feb 25, 2025; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide forward Grant Nelson (4) and Mississippi State Bulldogs forward RJ Melendez (22) dive after a loose ball during the first half at Coleman Coliseum. | Will McLelland-Imagn Images

Alabama forward Grant Nelson is the team's second-leading score at 12 points per game and leading rebounder with 7.9 boards per game. But Nelson's productivity hasn't been as high for the No. 6 Crimson Tide over the last few weeks.

Nelson has not scored in double figures in four of the last five games after coming off a six-game stretch from mid-January to early February where he averaged 15.5 points per game starting with his season high 25-point performance in the win at Kentucky.

Alabama head coach Nate Oats was asked Friday what Nelson needs to do to start playing his best basketball again. For Oats, it all starts with getting the big man healthy

" I think we're starting to see him get healthier, get more explosive," Oats said. "He’s got to get downhill to the rim."

 Almost 30 games into a college basketball season, espeically with a strength of schedule like Alabama has played, puts a lot of wear and tear on an athlete's body. Players are working through injuries, but still playing in games to help give their teams the best chance of winning.

Nelson's minutes have also slightly decreased over the last five games, partly due to foul trouble, but he has remained in the starting lineup and played hard. He even won the hard hat in Alabama's last game against Mississippi State when he had six points, seven rebounds, two assists and a steal.

When Nelson is clicking offensively, it makes the Crimson Tide even more difficult to beat. And Alabama has a tough end to the season with the final three regular season games against top-10 teams, starting with No. 5 Tennessee in Knoxville on Saturday.

"We do need Grant to be a little more aggressive, a little bit more efficient in his minutes," Oats said. "His turnovers, in some games he's been a little inconsistent with taking care of ball. We need him to take care of the ball a little bit better, too.”