Nate Oats is justifiably frustrated by the current landscape of college basketball that allows for some professional players to be granted eligibility, but not others.
The NCAA has created a mess and a system with unclear rules. Charles Bediako losing in court doesn't change that, and the former-turned-current now former again Alabama center will not be the last player to challenge the system. And all it will take is a friendlier judge than the one Bediako had in Tuscaloosa to fully disrupt the system.
And it won't be anyone's fault but the governing body of the NCAA that has allowed all of this to happen.
Oats hasn't been shy about pointing out the NCAA's hypocrisy. He has consistently mentioned Baylor's James Nnaji being granted eligibility despite being drafted into the NBA. He's also consistently pointed out how European players are being given preferential treatment over American players.
And ahead of Alabama's matchup with Ole Miss on Wednesday night in Oxford, Oats made sure to point out in his Tuesday press conference that the Rebels, like so many other teams in college basketball, have a former pro on their roster.
Nate Oats cites Ole Miss' former European pro as further evidence of NCAA hypocrisy
"The kid (Ilias) Kamardine, played with JDA Dijon in France," Oats said. "It's the first-tier France division. He's a pro that played a lot of years of professional basketball before he came over here."
Kamardine was granted eligibility for this season back in August, despite the fact that he's no longer even eligible for the NBA Draft. International players have to be turning between 19 and 22 years of age in the same calendar year as the draft. Kamardine turns 23 in October.
And yet, he was granted eligibility by the NCAA to play this season, despite multiple years of European professional experience that gives him a significant leg up on high school players. Oh, and he's also taking a scholarship from one of those high school players that the NCAA was so worried about in Bediako's case, though he was a mid-year enrollee and in no way, shape, or form was taking a spot away.
The hypocrisy is laughable. And Oats won't stop calling it out.