NCAA Tournament - Grant Nelson's monster performance leads Alabama past North Carolina in Sweet 16
Yahoo Sports' Jason Fitz and Krysten Peek analyze the Crimson Tide's Sweet 16 win over the Tar Heels, emphasizing how Grant Nelson's outstanding performance was the decisive factor for Alabama.
Video Transcript
JASON FITZ: We finally have an instant classic with the NCAA tournament. Alabama takes down top-seeded North Carolina in their region, 89 to 87. Kristin Peek, Jason Fitz, Yahoo Sports. KP, sometimes the tournament's a star-maker, and there's absolutely no two ways about it. Today, Grant Nelson became a superstar, the sort of legend we will be talking about for years because of this game.
KRYSTEN PEEK: We knew this was going to be the battle of the guards. And it was the pressure in the back court, and along the perimeter that extended the court for Alabama. And Grant Nelson, the North Dakota State transfer, is the one that delivered for Alabama. Mark Sears found Nelson for the And1 to go up by 2 with 35 seconds left. And then he had a key block and a defensive stop, followed by a pair of free throws to close out the game. This felt like a run-and-gun game by both teams, and Nelson finished with a season-high 24 points and added 12 rebounds. I love the unexpected heroes this tournament produces. And tonight was Nelson's night.
JASON FITZ: Yeah the mustachioed man absolutely had an incredible night. A night that history will remember. I feel like everybody in Alabama is going to be putting on a little fake mustache just making sure they look at-- now, usually, the last weekend, we were watching with Danny Green. Danny, obviously at the game. So my heart breaks for our friend. Obviously, I'm sure there was plenty to say about that. But I'm just wondering. Any thoughts on the possibility of a Kardashian-Jenner curse? Because maybe the gossip reels were saying that there was a little DM sliding going on.
KRYSTEN PEEK: I mean, now that Paxton and UNC are out of the tournament, maybe Kylie Jenner will be slipping into Grant Nelson's DMs. We don't know. We'll see.
JASON FITZ: What we do know is that after three of the last four years, finally making the Sweet 16 portion of this tournament, they have broken through, Alabama is headed to the Elite Eight. So let's see if the tide can roll all the way into the Final Four.
