CBB analyst makes bold proclamation about Alabama with Charles Bediako despite loss

Alabama came up short on Saturday night at home against Tennessee, a frustrating fifth-straight loss to the Vols, but it's hard to take a lot of negatives away considering what the Crimson Tide was missing. That became a bigger story than what Alabama added.

Alabama had five players out, none more impactful than Aden Holloway and Amari Allen, the team's second and third leaders in scoring and assists. That lack of playmaking and offensive punch was impossible to overcome against a feisty defensive team out of Knoxville.

But Nate Oats is optimistic that both will be back on the court on Tuesday against Missouri. And despite the loss to Tennessee, it's obvious that Charles Bediako is going to make a big impact for the Crimson Tide, assuming he's granted his injunction against the NCAA on Tuesday and is eligible to play the remainder of the season.

Bediako scored 13 points in 25 minutes, connecting on 5-of-6 attempts from the floor in his re-debut. He added three rebounds, two blocked shots, and two steals. While his rebounding will need to pick up, the former G-Leaguer made an immediate impact on both ends of the court.

That fact wasn't lost on The Field of 68's Jeff Goodman, who saw the forest through the trees of Saturday night's loss.

“If Alabama still has Bediako eligible for the rest of the season, I think the Crimson Tide are a Final 4 team," Goodman said.

Jeff Goodman says Alabama is a Final Four team with Charles Beidako

Bediako made a big impact in his first game back wearing a Crimson Tide uniform in nearly three years. And that's despite him only having one practice with the team before the game. Imagine what he might look like in a couple of weeks, assuming he wins his court case against the NCAA?

Bediako gives Alabama an immediate lift in the frontcourt. Aiden Sherrell has been terrific as a sophomore, but there's been little outside of him. And Bediako is a much different player than Sherrell anyway.

Sherrell is more finesse, Bediako is more power and athleticism. He's a rim-runner, rim-protector, and he's clearly added a little bit to his bag in the three years he's been away from Tuscaloosa.

That's what will allow Bediako and Sherrell to log minutes together. It will also decrease the time that Alabama has to play without a true five in the lineup, unless it becomes advantageous to do so.

A healthy Alabama can go far. The addition of Bediako has raised the team's ceiling and has the potential to remove an obvious weakness.

That's a much bigger deal than a singular result, regardless of how frustrating.