Iowa in the mix for transfer big man
Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery has always preached the idea of having a scholarship open at various times of the year because you never know when a player may become available. That thinking has the Hawkeyes in the mix for one of the top available players currently in the transfer portal.
That player is Grant Nelson, a 6-foot-11 big man originally from Devils Lake, ND. He has enjoyed a standout career at North Dakota State. This past season as a junior, Nelson averaged 17.9 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.7 blocks per game. Nelson also shot an impressive 52% from the floor, but he was only 25-93 from beyond the arch. Those numbers earned him first team All Summit League honors.
It also put him on the radar of the National Basketball Association. In addition to entering the transfer portal, Nelson also tested the NBA Draft process. He participated in the NBA Draft Combine last month in Chicago and by all accounts, impressed the scouts in attendance. He averaged 6.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in two scrimmage games at the combine.
Ultimately, Nelson was thought to be a second round pick in the NBA Draft and he opted to return to college for one more year to try and improve his stock. Which brings us to Iowa and other programs who are rumored to be in the mix for the talented big man.
The other initial list of schools in the mix in addition to Iowa are Alabama, Florida State, and Baylor. The Crimson Tide are rumored to have already been confirmed to get an official visit from Nelson with Iowa and Baylor as other leaders with FSU likely sitting fourth. Hawkeye assistant coach Matt Gatens and head coach Fran McCaffery are leading the charge for Iowa.
Iowa’s sales pitch to Nelson is pretty simple. First, he wants to play in the NBA and the Hawkeyes are on the cusp of having a frontcourt player drafted three straight years, including a pair of first round draft picks.
Second, they are selling him on coming to Iowa and putting the ball in his hands. The Hawkeyes up and down faster paced style of play is ideal for a player like Nelson. Much like Luka Garza and Keegan and Kris Murray, he would be able to put up strong numbers in Iowa’s system and likely elevate his draft stock.
Third, he would seem to be a good fit with the Hawkeyes other big men, Ben Krikke and Even Brauns. Both are more of in the paint type players with decent mobility in the lane, but they don’t have the handles of Nelson, who could operate from the wing as a scoring threat.
Right now, the Hawkeyes are probably a bubble type team when it comes to the NCAA Tournament, but if they were to add Nelson, Iowa would likely be in very good shape to make the Big Dance for the fifth time in a row when it was held.
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