Nate Oats claims the system is broken. As Alabama basketball adds Charles Bediako to its roster, the Crimson Tide’s head coach justified the move to bring back the center who has played multiple years of pro ball and signed a two-way NBA contract, by arguing that the rest of the college basketball world is in a bad place.
When asked whether he felt the move was good for the sport, and if he took any personal responsibility for it if not, Oats pointed again at the current moment.
“Like I said, we’ve got to come up with a uniform and transparent system that doesn’t give preferential treatment to international players like the current system does because those guys can play four years professionally and then come here,” Oats said.
“Is it good for the sport? At some point, we’ve got to get it to where everybody has got a uniform, transparent, we all know who we can recruit and who we can’t recruit, that doesn’t give preferential treatment to international players. Once they figure that out, it will be great. If this helps them get to that point, that would be great. But they need to get to that point.”
Bediako, who has been playing in the G-League since leaving Alabama early for the 2023 NBA Draft, where he was not selected, sued the NCAA Tuesday in Tuscaloosa Circuit Court. Judge Jim Roberts, who is listed on the Crimson Tide Foundation’s website as a UA donor, granted him a temporary restraining order that allows the center to play until a Tuesday hearing.
If Roberts grants him a temporary injunction against the NCAA, it could allow Bediako to play the rest of the season. The NCAA has publicly said it is vehemently against Bediako becoming eligible, and decried the precedent it would set.
Oats said he thinks the current system is stacked against American players while allowing former international pros into the college game unabated.
“My personal opinion on all this is we need a uniform and transparent system that doesn’t punish the Americans,” Oats said. “That takes the hypocrisy out of it, that gives equal treatment to Americans and international players both, while also allowing high school players the opportunities they need coming out of school. So, someone should be able to come up with a system that checks all those boxes. But for now, we’re gonna continue to support Charles.”
Alabama and Tennessee are scheduled to tip off at 7:30 p.m. CT Saturday at Coleman Coliseum. The game will be aired on ESPN.