North Dakota, stay standing.
A run that had already been magical took another historic step Saturday night in Los Angeles. The Alabama Crimson Tide reached their first Final Four in program history, thanks in large part to the contributions of Devils Lake High School alum Grant Nelson.
Nelson followed up his historic Sweet 16 performance with eight points and seven rebounds against a pesky Clemson squad, helping the Tide beat the Tigers 89-82. He continued to attract a national spotlight to his Devils Lake roots, becoming known as “the kid from North Dakota” on one of the biggest stages in all of sports.
Following his double-double against North Carolina to advance to Alabama’s second Elite Eight in program history, Nelson had a deeper dive into his background written by Yahoo Sports. The article described Devils Lake as “the middle of nowhere,” explaining its remoteness to a general audience that had likely never heard of Devils Lake. It explained in particular how opportunities can be tougher to come by for small-town kids than those from a big city.
And that just puts into context how special what Nelson is doing is. Per the NDHSAA, he’s the first high schooler from anywhere in North Dakota to play in the Final Four since Jeff Boschee in 2002 with the Kansas Jayhawks.
Given the competitive nature of March Madness, it was another battle for Alabama on Saturday. The Tide went nearly the first three minutes of the game without scoring. Trailing 6-0, they got on the board at the 17:11 mark — thanks to an and-one by Nelson that sliced the deficit in half.
Shortly thereafter, a three by Rylan Griffen tied the game. The Tide were right in it despite the slow start. Nelson, though, was charged with two fouls in the first four minutes.
The first half was one of limited offense and runs on both sides. The Tigers led Alabama 15-13, but then went on an 11-0 stretch to go up 26-13.
Aaron Estrada ended the drought for Alabama, and Jarin Stevenson followed it up with a three. The Tide grabbed their 10th offensive rebound compared to just two from Clemson at the time, and Estrada swished a three of his own to make it a five-point game.
Stevenson made his second three-pointer, and just like that, it was an 11-0 run for Alabama to counter Clemson’s. The Tide only trailed 26-24.
Griffen hit a go-ahead three to put Alabama up 29-28, and Nelson got back in the points column with a free throw that gave the Tide an even 30. Mark Sears made a three that capped a 20-2 stretch for Alabama. When the first half was done, it was a 35-32 Alabama lead.
Sears and Stevenson were the leading scorers on the night, putting up 23 and 19 points, respectively. Nelson had a modest four in the first half, but he was just one of many weapons this Alabama team deployed.
Sears had another go-ahead three early in the second half, putting the Tide up 38-36. Nelson then had one of his two assists on the night, passing it up to Nick Pringle, who dunked the ball to make it a two-possession game.
Alabama led for the rest of the game, though Clemson stayed right there the entire time. Nelson had a dunk of his own at the 16:44 mark, making it 44-41 Alabama. He had a block and a defensive rebound right after, and made his second assist to Griffen, who made a layup and stretched the lead to five.
But Clemson managed to keep the gap in single digits. It was as close as 49-47, and as comfortable as 73-64. Nelson’s playing time was limited due to committing his fourth foul with about 10 minutes remaining, but he got back in there at the end and made a couple free throws to put up his second straight four-point half. His final points gave the Tide a seven-point lead with 29.5 seconds left.
The teams traded threes down the stretch, but it was Alabama that proved superior. The Tide shot 16-of-36 from deep, compared to Clemson’s 8-of-26.
In attendance were a few faces Nelson and Devils Lake readers should recognize. After the game, current Firebirds head coach Dustin Brodina snapped a photo of Alabama head coach Nate Oats with three members of the 2023-24 championship squad: Grant’s younger brother Joel, state tournament MVP Wylee Delorme, and Brodina’s son and all-tournament selection Parker. Oats got to witness firsthand some of Nelson’s local ties that have been written and talked about.
So now Nelson and the Tide are diving into unfamiliar waters: the Elite Eight, where Alabama has never been. On Saturday, they’ll face a No. 1 UConn team that’s won its March Madness games by margins of 39, 17, 30 and 25.
But win or lose, Nelson has already left a mark on this famed tournament, one seasoned with a Devils Lake aftertaste. Millions around the country have learned where Devils Lake is, and the state of North Dakota has entered their radar as a place where good athletes are developed.
And that’s worth standing for.
