Alabama forward Grant Nelson will be available for Friday’s game against Robert Morris in the first round of the NCAA tournament, the school’s NIL collective Yea Alabama announced.

Nelson will not start, coach Nate Oats told CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein.

“He’s gonna be dressed,” Oats told Crimson Tide Sports Network pregame. “Warm up with team and available to play if needed. We’ll see where that takes us.”

Nelson had been termed as day-to-day and a game-time decision after straining the patellar tendon in his left knee in the SEC tournament last Saturday.

“Grant wants to play. He’s a competitor,” Oats said Thursday. “He played great in the NCAA tournament last year. It’ll end up being a game-time decision based on what he feels like in the morning, but if he does end up playing, he won’t have practiced anything live up until then.”

Friday’s game tips off at 11:40 a.m. CT in Cleveland’s Rocket Arena. With a win, the Tide would play again Sunday at a time to be announced against the winner of Friday’s game between Saint Mary’s and Vanderbilt.