Alabama will play the rest of the 2025-26 season with out huge man Charles Bediako after a choose denied his movement in search of a preliminary injunction towards NCAA eligibility guidelines. Bediako, who returned to Alabama after signing an NBA contract and enjoying within the G League, appeared in 5 video games for the Crimson Tide.
Talking for the primary time because the ruling on Monday, Alabama coach Nate Oats weighed in on the choice.
“Tremendous disenchanted within the ruling for Charles,” Oats stated on Tuesday. “Whatever the ruling, we’re going to proceed to assist him anyway we probably can right here. With the crew, now we have to maneuver ahead. We performed 18 video games earlier than he acquired right here. Some actual high quality wins with out him. … Unhappy state of affairs for him, however now we have to maneuver ahead and proceed to assist him nonetheless we are able to.”
Bediako, who performed for the Crimson Tide for 2 seasons earlier than declaring for the 2023 NBA Draft, averaged 10.0 factors. 4.6 rebounds and a pair of.0 blocks in his second stint with the crew. Earlier than becoming a member of the Crimson Tide, he was a fixture within the G League, enjoying for the Austin Spurs (San Antonio’s G League affiliate), Grand Rapids Gold, and, most not too long ago, the Motor Metropolis Cruise.
Charles Bediako ineligible after choose’s ruling: Why 7-footer’s journey from G League again to Alabama is over
Matt Norlander
With Bediako within the rotation, Alabama went 3-2 with wins over Auburn, Texas A&M and Missouri. Oats defended and doubled down on the choice when requested if it was price bringing him again to Alabama, regardless of him enjoying in simply 5 video games.
“There was a possibility to assist one in all our former gamers out,” Oats stated. “He was inside his five-year window. He is attempting to get his diploma. Here is the factor too. My job as a head coach is to attempt to do the precise factor by our guys. Charles is one in all our guys. That was the precise factor to do by one in all our guys. … We will proceed to assist his basketball improvement. We will proceed to assist his improvement as a pupil, as a student-athlete. 100% it was price it. I’d do the identical factor 100 instances out of 100 for any of our guys.”
With Bediako out, Alabama might depend on Bucknell switch Noah Williamson for extra minutes on the middle place. Williamson has appeared in 21 video games this season and is averaging just below 9 minutes per sport. Oats additionally talked about the opportunity of going with smaller lineups, with Taylor Bol Bowen at middle.
“He will have to get again to enjoying arduous and giving us nice effort,” Oats stated of Williamson. “You look again to what he was in a position to do within the Kentucky sport, when huge Aidan [Sherrell] went out with the damage. He will have to provide us these varieties of minutes transferring ahead. We will additionally go small.”
Alabama will play its first sport with out Bediako because the ruling on Wednesday towards Ole Miss. The Crimson Tide are on the No. 4 seed line in CBS Sports activities’ newest Bracketology projections.