Alabama basketball head coach Nate Oats remains hopeful that Grant Nelson will be ready for the NCAA Tournament despite his recent knee injury.

“He hurt his knee,” Oats said after Alabama’s SEC Tournament loss to Florida on Saturday. “I’m not sure of the exact injury, but it’s not an ACL issue. The team doctor evaluated him at halftime, and we found out he couldn’t return for the second half. Hopefully, he’ll be back for the first round of the NCAA Tournament.”

Nelson had a strong start, scoring nine points and helping Alabama stay competitive in the first half. However, he exited the game with 3:40 left before halftime and did not return. After his departure, Alabama struggled, ultimately falling 104-82 in the semifinal.

With a few days to recover before the NCAA Tournament, Nelson’s availability remains uncertain. If he can’t play, Alabama will need to improve significantly to make another deep tournament run.

Mo Dioubate emphasized the need for the team to step up in Nelson’s absence.

“The guys coming off the bench have to do a better job,” Dioubate said. “Grant being out means we all need to step up. We have to bring that toughness—it’s our time now. The starters, the bench—everyone has to step up, and we will.”

Shortly after Nelson exited, Dioubate made a layup with 2:27 left in the first half, briefly putting Alabama ahead. However, it was the last time the Crimson Tide led, as they were overwhelmed in the second half.

Oats acknowledged Nelson’s absence had a major impact but believed the team should have responded better.

“We were right in the game until he went out,” Oats said. “Even without him, we had enough talent to stay competitive and make a run. It was definitely tougher without him, especially since he started strong.”

Jarin Stevenson was one of the players who logged extra minutes in Nelson’s absence. He finished with 10 points but struggled after halftime, missing all six of his field-goal attempts in 18 second-half minutes.

Stevenson echoed Dioubate’s thoughts on stepping up.

“Grant is a huge part of our team,” Stevenson said. “We didn’t win enough 50/50 balls, and they dominated us on the boards. We just have to be better.”

Alabama will find out its NCAA Tournament placement on Sunday, with the selection show airing at 5 p.m. CT on CBS.