The NCAA tournament is about basketball but also so much more: the parents, fans, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The Sweet 16/Elite 8 are taking place in 4 cities around the country and we could not be more excited to be there in person! HoopsHD is covering all the angles so you can look forward to an abundance of access in the days ahead. Jon Teitel continues our coverage from Los Angeles with an interview of Alabama basketball father Nels Nelson about his son Grant.
Your son Grant was named North Dakota Mr. Basketball as a senior: what made him choose North Dakota State to start his college career? It was the best school at the time that asked him to come there. I think he heard from some other schools later on…but he never told us which ones!
He played in all 27 of the Bison’s games as a freshman and was named conference 6th Man of the Year: how was he able to come in and contribute right from the start? He worked hard in practice and listened well: he is a good team guy. His height (6’10 and ¾”) also helped.
As a junior he was named to the all-conference 1st-team and the all-conference defensive team: how does he balance his offense with his defense? He played more of an NBA-style at NDSU and would bring the ball down the court and get a lot of AST. He just seemed to be doing whatever was asked of him.
Why did he decide to transfer last June, and what made him choose Alabama? By the time he got done with the NBA combine it was late in the season. There were a few schools capable of making the Sweet 16 that made him an offer. Coach Oats was #1 when we met him: he is an honorable guy who does Bible study once or twice a week.
How many of his games did you get to see in person this year, and which was your favorite 1? Washington was my favorite, but I got to see a few other games as well. He did not play a lot in Washington but the team came together and was winning, so that was fun.
He lost 3 straight Summit tourney titles game with the Bison: how excited were you to finally hear his team’s name called on Selection Sunday?! I love it for him, since it is what his dream is. We have 10 kids and I am just proud that they have all gone out and done what they want in life.
The Tide’s 90.7 PPG is #1 in the nation, but their 80.9 PPG allowed is bottom-10 in the nation: were you surprised that they scored 109 PTS vs. Charleston in the 1st round and then held GCU to 61 PTS in the 2nd round? Not really: when they are playing together they got it. That is what I see as an outsider.
He turned 22 last week: did you get him anything special for his birthday? A big bag of sunflower seeds that are ½ salt and ½ sugar!
Your son Leif is a javelin thrower at USC and your son Joel won the North Dakota Division A basketball title a couple of weeks ago: who is the best athlete in the family? I am because I had the dang kids and kept them alive/fed them! Leif just had the 4th-best half-approach throw in Trojans history and will try a full-approach throw next weekend. My daughter Erin was named homecoming queen in addition to being the 1st woman to score a point for the boys’ football team at her high school (as a kicker). They all worked hard as kids and would come with me on jobs and did not complain. They are honorable Christian kids and a lot of them did well in track and field.
Any predictions for the North Carolina game tonight? If they play well then they will kick butt…and if not then we will be going home.