Freshman Bediako Growing into Physicality of College Game
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — He's had to face some of the best bigs in the country this season, but his biggest tests might just come at practice.
Alabama's freshman forward Charles Bediako has had to battle down low with Chet Holmgren and Drew Timme from Gonzaga, Walker Kessler from Auburn, Colin Castleton from Florida and the nation's leading rebounder in Oscar Tshiebwe, who he will face again on Saturday afternoon when the Crimson Tide travels to Rupp Arena to take on Kentucky at noon.
According to Bediako though, it's not just the high quality opponents he's faced that have helped him develop, but also the toughness built at practice going against teammates like James Rojas.
Affectionally nicknamed "Angry Chuck" by his teammates in the offseason, those teammates try to bring out that angry side of the freshman at practice to make him better.
"I would say my only goal in practice is just hit Chuck as much as I can just to get him tougher because it’s going to help him in the long run, and it’s gonna be the best for us," Rojas said. "So I just get a body on him and make him work, and he doesn’t suffer.”
It's starting to pay off for Bediako who is coming off arguably his best game in an Alabama uniform. On Wednesday against Mississippi State, he had a career high 15 points, five rebounds and six blocks. Bediako admitted there were times early in the season when he might not have been quite ready for the physicality he was facing as a true freshman, but things are starting to click for him.
"I think as the season went on, I started to kind of get used to the physicality," Bediako said. "There were some games where physicality was a bit much for me, but in practice from Rojas especially, he helps me get my physicality up.”
He has played his best against some of the best competition. Against Gonzaga, he had seven points, eight rebounds and six blocks while his size on defense crated frustration for Holmgren and Timme. Earlier this season against Kentucky, Bediako went 4-4 from the floor with 12 points and eight rebounds. Overall on the season, Bediako is averaging 6.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game.
Alabama head coach Nate Oats shared how importance that experience has been for the maturity of the freshman. He also said Bediako did a good job against the Wildcats in the first matchup, and it will be important to keep him out of foul trouble on Saturday.
"I think him having to guard the quality of bigs that he's had to guard gave him a great experience early as a freshman which has made him grow up a lot quicker and sooner than maybe a typical freshman would," Oats said. "I think he's in a great place for the middle of February for a freshman. He’s playing playing a lot more like he's a sophomore and has been playing a lot of games because he’s had to go so many reps against such quality players in our games this year.”
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Saturday's road game at No. 4 Kentucky will mark the sixth top-five team Alabama has faced this season. While the stretch of tough regular season opponents will end on Saturday with the backend of the Alabama schedule being a little easier, the Crimson Tide is a team that's preparing for the postseason.
Despite some frustrating losses to lesser opponents throughout the season, Alabama is still in prime position for the NCAA Tournament and slowly climbing its way back up the SEC standings for a potential double-bye in the conference tournament. Oats said that Bediako's dunking ability, rebounding and shot-blocking skills will all be keys for Alabama down the stretch. He wants the freshman forward to be the anchor of the Alabama defense.
"I mean you’ve seen the schedule," Bediako said. "We had to play a lot of tough teams with a lot of great bigs, so things are definitely starting to kick in for me. So I'm just really excited, just trying to focus on these last couple games we have before the tournament.”
