Grant Nelson (basketball)

Grant Nelson (born March 18, 2002) is an American college basketball player for the Alabama Crimson Tide of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). He previously played for the North Dakota State Bison.

Early life and high school career
Nelson grew up in Devils Lake, North Dakota and attended Devils Lake High School. He played mostly on the junior varsity team as a freshman and sophomore. Nelson averaged 16.4 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 5.1 blocks per game and was named second team All-State during his junior season. He was named North Dakota Mr. Basketball as a senior after averaging 25 points, 18 rebounds, and 5.7 blocks per game. Nelson committed to playing college basketball for North Dakota State over offers from North Dakota and Division II programs Northern State, University of Mary, Minot State, and Minnesota State-Moorhead.

College career
Nelson played in all 27 of NDSU's games, with five starts as a freshman and was named the Summit League Sixth Man of the Year after averaging 6.3 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. He became a starter as a sophomore and averaged 11.6 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. During Nelson's junior season, a highlight reel of his play went viral in early January 2023. As a junior, Grant averaged 17.9 points and 9.3 rebounds per game, as well as shooting 52.1% from the field. These stats also earned him his first All-Summit First Team and All-Summit Defensive Team honors.

Following the 2022–23 season, Nelson explored his options in the 2023 NBA draft but ultimately withdrew to return to college for his senior season. On June 12, 2023, he transferred to Alabama after spending three seasons at North Dakota State. Nelson averaged 11.9 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. He announced he was returning for his final season at Alabama.