3. Grant Nelson – North Dakota State
A 6’10 forward from Devils Lake, Nelson is another player from the Flickertail State who played his collegiate ball at North Dakota State. Nelson joined the Bison in 2020 and has already played a significant role early in his career. He’s just two years deep in his college career, meaning there could be even better things ahead in the coming years.
Nelson saw few starts as a freshman but averaged 6.3 points and 3.7 rebounds in the opportunities he was given. He scored a season-high 14 points in a close road loss at TCU. His sophomore season saw him take that jump, averaging 11.6 points and 4.9 rebounds while playing more consistently. He set a career-high with 24 points in a win over North Dakota, while playing a critical role in the Bison’s run to the Summit League title game at the end of the year.
He was named All-Summit Tournament during that sophomore season while also leading the conference in blocks. He’s a sizeable force down low for the Bison, already showing his potential as an underclassman. Nelson ranked among the conference leaders in interior scoring and might just develop into one of the best bigs in the Summit League in these coming seasons. He’ll return to North Dakota for his junior year next season.