Alabama’s offense surged to a win in its last game against Mississippi State. Nearly every Crimson Tide player finished with a flattering stat line on the offensive end as Alabama dropped 111 points, reaching the century mark for the eighth time this season.

One of the few players who didn’t shine in the scoring department against the Bulldogs was forward Grant Nelson. His performance didn’t negate an Alabama blowout, but Nelson had just six points Tuesday night, continuing an offensive slump that has seen the Tide's second-leading scorer struggle over the past five games.

Alabama will need all of its available scoring options clicking as it concludes the regular season against three opponents in the top five. The first is No. 5 Tennesee, which ranks No. 1 in adjusted defensive efficiency. Though Alabama has a deep collection of scorers, a Nelson no-show game on offense will put a lot of pressure on the rest of his teammates to generate offense against a side that has only given up more than 70 points once in its last five games.

“He’s gotta get downhill to the rim,” Alabama coach Nate Oats said of Nelson. “The dunk he had against Mississippi State where — some teams kind of over-help on him and he can kind of get going on the ‘go-catch’ we call it downhill to the rim. But we do need Grant to be a little more aggressive and a little more efficient in his minutes— and his turnovers. Some games, he’s been a little inconsistent with taking care of the ball. We need him to take care of the ball a little bit better, too.”

Oats emphasized that the main catalyst that will help Nelson become more efficient and get his scoring touch back is his health. Nelson hasn’t missed any game time yet this season, but Oats said nagging injuries have led to inconsistent practice reps. Nelson even appeared on the SEC availability report before the Mississippi State game.

Nelson’s shot volume is a reflection of his recent scoring trepidation. He’s been in double figures just once in the last five games and averaged just 7.6 points and 1.5 turnovers. Nelson has attempted just six 3-pointers while shooting 50% from the field in that same span.

As he gets healthier, Nelson should also benefit from Alabama’s multi-guard lineups that have helped players like Jarin Stevenson and Chris Youngblood shoot at more efficient and higher clips in recent games. The Tide racked up 28 assists against Mississippi State. If Alabama can keep moving the ball at a similar rate, Oats thinks Nelson should have more opportunities as a cutter and driver off-ball as he works to re-find his outside shot.

“We are finding some cutting opportunities the guards gotta find him on,” Oats said. “I think that’s an area because he can finish at the rim real well. So if we can maybe play him with — you know, like your starting group. You’ve got [Mark] Sears and Labaron [Philon] to create. You’ve got Youngblood to stretch the floor. If Grant can find some more cuts I think he can get himself to be a little bit more efficient.”

Nelson has shown just how dangerous he can be for opposing defenses when his shot is falling and he’s in attack mode. He doesn’t need to become an expert marksman from 3, but getting healthy will help him regain the same level of shooting confidence that saw him score 25 points against Kentucky after airballing his first attempt from deep. If Nelson can return to form quickly, Alabama will pair his strong scoring with an increasingly more efficient offense that should give it a chance in each of its remaining SEC regular-season matchups.

Alabama will face Tennessee at 3 p.m. CT Saturday inside Thompson-Boling Arena. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.