Alabama basketball's Grant Nelson announces he'll return to play for Crimson Tide

Alabama basketball forward Grant Nelson has announced he'll return to the Crimson Tide for a fifth season.

Nelson transferred to the Crimson Tide this past season after playing for North Dakota State the prior three seasons. He was an immediate starter for Alabama, manning both the No. 4 and No. 5 spots in the starting lineup depending on what kind of look the Crimson Tide wanted. He averaged 11.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game over the course of the season that ended in the Final Four.

Nelson announced his decision via social media.

Nelson was a senior this past season, but had one more season of collegiate eligibility to exercise.

In the NCAA Tournament, Nelson played a crucial role in the upset of No. 1 seed UNC in the Sweet 16. He took over in that game, scoring 24 points, grabbing 12 rebounds and blocking five shots.

He also shined at times in the loss to UConn in the Final Four, scoring 19 points, grabbing 15 rebounds and blocking one shot. Nelson was frequently matched up with Donovan Clingan, and Nelson at one point dunked over UConn's big man.

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Nick Kelly is the Alabama beat writer for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network, and he covers Alabama football and men's basketball. Reach him at nkelly@gannett.com or follow him @_NickKelly on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama basketball's Grant Nelson announces decision on future