A whole lot of people are angry about Charles Bediako playing for Alabama again after three years in the G-League. Those people probably got a whole lot angrier because Nate Oats wasted no time getting Bediako a bucket.
After checking into the game to raucous applause from a rowdy Coleman Coliseum, the first baseline out-of-bounds play after he checked in was a play drawn up for him. Bediako set two screens, slipping the second one and receiving the in-bounds pass for a wide-open dunk.
And Coleman Erupts... pic.twitter.com/dvdda9eV9x
— Alabama Men’s Basketball (@AlabamaMBB) January 25, 2026
Nate Oats wasted no time getting Charles Bediako involved against Tennessee
If you know anything about Nate Oats, it's that he's a competitor. He probably drew that play up for Bediako the moment he knew he was going to be able to play on Saturday night against Tennessee.
Because all Oats and Alabama can do right now is lean into the villain role they're going to play with Bediako on the roster.
People are going to be mad. Let them be mad. They should be angrier at the NCAA for leaving the door open that something like this could happen. It's not Oats' nor Bediako's fault that the NCAA decided that professional basketball players could be eligible to play in college.
Bediako is eligible for at least one game. He was granted a temporary restraining order by a Tuscaloosa County Judge against the NCAA this week that allowed him to play against the Volunteers. His eligibility for the remainder of the season will be determined on January 27th in a hearing for a preliminary injunction.
It is expected, based on precedent already set by the NCAA, that Bediako will be granted that injunction and will finish out the final semester of his five-year window trying to help the Crimson Tide make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.