Did Alabama Find Its Best Frontcourt Pairing in Win Over Mizzou? Just a Minute

Welcome to BamaCentral’s "Just a Minute," a video series featuring BamaCentral's Alabama beat writers. Multiple times per week, the writers will provide their take on a topic concerning the Crimson Tide or the landscape of college sports.

Watch the above video as BamaCentral staff writer Hunter De Siver discusses Alabama's frontcourt duo of Aiden Sherrell and Charles Bediako.

No. 23 Alabama basketball dismantled Missouri 90-64 at home on Tuesday night, and as the final score suggests, defense played a major role.

UA allowed its fewest points to a Power Four opponent this season, including just 11 for Mizzou forward Mark Mitchell, who had 31 in last year's meeting. This was somewhat due to a major change that Crimson Tide head coach Nate Oats made to the starting lineup.

Alabama forward Aiden Sherrell has started in every game that he's played in this season and it remained that way on Tuesday, but center Charles Bediako joined him. In other words, the Tide had two starters who stood at 6-foot-11 (Sherrell) and 7-foot (Bediako).

Oats tested this frontcourt pairing a couple of times during last Saturday's loss to Tennessee, but it was only for a total of a few minutes. These two weren't always on the floor together against the Tigers, but Alabama seemed very effective on both ends when they were. Sherrell finished with 16 points, while Bediako tallied 14.

The argument takes a stray in the offensive rebounding department, as Mizzou grabbed 15 while Alabama only had eight, but the Tigers weren't exactly converting on their second-chance opportunities. Missouri shot under 50 percent from two-point range, much thanks to the pressure put on by Sherrell and Bediako, among other Crimson Tide players.

So, what did Oats think of his starting frontcourt duo?

"Aiden’s been playing really well before Charles came," Oats said during the postgame press conference. "I think it does allow him to step out, maybe play more like a four, like [shoot] more threes. ... He for sure gets a little more comfortable playing on the perimeter because he started at the four tonight.

“They weren’t in there a ton together, but I do think they’re more than capable of playing together. In the Florida game, [the Gators] have got real bigs that may have to match. Those two have a lot more than — they may both have to play more than 22 and 18 minutes tonight.

"Aiden can definitely shoot. He goes to the line. He goes 7-for-9. Charles goes to the line and goes 6-6. So, those two, to me, they look good together. They’re playing well together in practice, pushing each other, making each other better. So, I was happy for them.”

This just might be the best possible frontcourt pairing for Alabama due to its effectiveness on both sides of the ball against an SEC opponent. However, there is one potential issue.

Bediako has been the biggest story in college basketball over the last week due to his eligibility case. He played at Alabama from 2021-23, and after not being selected in the 2023 NBA Draft, he's spent the past couple of years in the NBA G League.

Bediako sued the NCAA on Jan. 20 with hopes of returning to the Crimson Tide and Tuscaloosa County judge James Roberts granted him a 10-day restraining order, which allowed him to face Tennessee last Saturday. He was supposed to have an injunction hearing before the Mizzou game, but due to the NCAA attorney being unable to travel due to the weather, it was postponed and Bediako was granted another 10 days of eligibility.

Bediako will be able to play against Florida (Feb. 1) and Texas A&M (Feb. 3), but it is unknown ahead of those contests. The NCAA requested that Roberts, a University of Alabama donor, recuse himself from the case and he complied on Wednesday.

Nevertheless, as long as Bediako is in Tuscaloosa, whether he wins or loses the trial, keeping him and Sherrell in the starting lineup would be the best move for Oats and Alabama.

Did Alabama Find Its Best Frontcourt Pairing in Win Over Mizzou? Just a Minute

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