Alabama forward Nick Pringle made one thing clear when he spoke to the media wearing a walking boot on his left foot Friday. There was nothing that would keep him off the floor.
If the injury had sidelined Pringle for Alabama's Elite Eight matchup against Clemson, the Crimson Tide wouldn’t be staring at its first Final Four appearance in school history. Fortunately for the Tide, the senior shed his boot and helped keep No. 4 seed Alabama dancing in an 89-82 victory over the No. 6 seed Tigers.
“It’s been an unbelievable last 15 days,” Pringle said. “I’ve been dealing with my heel. It’s just been night in, night out all day just straight treatment, just taking it serious. Being professional about what I do.”
Pringle took that professionalism in his treatment onto the court. He had his best game in an Alabama uniform, logging 16 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, a block and a steal in 32 minutes, all after hobbling off the bus to Crypto.com Arena.
“Y’all need to go watch that last eight minutes of the game, and you can’t tell me Nick Pringle didn’t win us that game,” Alabama guard Rylan Griffen said. “He got every offensive rebound. He made his free throws. He got [Tigers forward PJ Hall] out of the game with the rebound. The and-1 was huge. Nick Pringle won the blue-collar award. The hard hat and he deserved it today.”
After getting right physically, Pringle was locked in mentally. He outplayed Hall, a forward he’s familiar with from their high school days in South Carolina where they went after each other in camps. He consistently gave Alabama an option in the paint on both ends, which was particularly key with Grant Nelson running into early foul trouble.
Pringle can thank himself for his performance on the court. But he had one man to thank for getting him ready to be out there in the first place, Alabama basketball athletic trainer Clarke Holter. The pair have a great relationship and spent a lot of 1-on-1 time together during those 15 days of getting Pringle back to full fitness.
“You just sit around and just do treatment all day and still have fun,” Pringle said. “Ultimately, I appreciate him for having me available for today, feeling my best. It’s just amazing and I can’t give enough props to him for that.”
It hasn’t just been this injury. Pringle has formed a bond with Holter that goes beyond putting bandages on knees, icing a sore elbow or nursing a hurt left heel. It’s a relationship between player and trainer that Pringle cherishes.
“We’ve got a great vibe,” Pringle said. “He’s honestly like a brother/dad to me. I go to him for a lot of things, a lot of personal stuff. He’s definitely the best trainer in the world. The way I was just hurting two days ago and he just — a lot of treatment, a lot of hours just sitting in with him. It just means a lot how much he cares for the team and how much time and effort he puts into us.”
Alabama fans got Pringle’s best in the biggest moment. But they can thank Holter for getting Pringle on the court to create that moment for himself. As the senior forward basked in his outstanding performance that made history for Alabama, he made sure to show appreciation to the trainer who spent all that time with him behind the scenes.
