How Has Professional Experience Impacted Charles Bediako's Game?

TUSCALOOSA, Ala— Charles Bediako has already played in more professional basketball games than most SEC big men will play in their entire careers. On Saturday, Alabama finds out whether that experience actually matters as Bediako makes his season debut against Tennessee.

"We haven't had him here in practice a lot this week, just limited," head coach Nate Oats said. "But based on what he did here in the past, he's obviously good at shot blocking, rebounding, and a lob target."

Bediako averaged 6.4 points and 6.0 rebounds as a sophomore for Alabama in the 2022-23 season, starting all 37 games at center. After going undrafted in the 2023 NBA Draft, he bounced around the G-League, appearing in 82 games over three seasons with the Austin Spurs, Grand Rapids Gold, and Motor City Cruise.

Bediako's best season came last year, when he averaged 9.9 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks over 24.5 minutes per game for the Gold. His numbers and usage had dipped this season, partially due to the system the Pistons' affiliate runs, but the 2024-25 campaign paints a clear picture of the kind of player Bediako can now be at the college level, a double-double machine with an increased offensive confidence and understanding of the game.

Bediako's proven ability to replicate and enhance his success at the professional level bodes extremely well for Alabama. The G-League is often viewed in an unserious light thanks to a lack of coverage, empty stadiums, and low salaries, but the level of competition is miles above that of the SEC, with over half of the players currently on NBA rosters having played in it. From a physicality and pace standpoint, the G-League demands quicker reads, stronger positioning, and defensive discipline that most college players, especially bigs, simply don't encounter on a regular basis.

Alabama fans have every reason to expect Bediako to take the floor on Saturday as a much-improved, more polished version of the 2023 SEC All-Defensive Team selection, especially when considering the easy transition offered by the NBA system that Oats runs.

"I think his game's continued to develop, and we'll try to use some of the stuff he's developed, but right now, we're just trying to get him used to playing with the players we have," Oats said. "It was a lot easier for him to come back because he's been in our system. Our system gets tweaked a little bit every year, but we ran an NBA system when Charles was here. Charles has played with some G-League teams that played an NBA system, and he's back playing an NBA system now, so it's not as big of an adjustment as maybe some of these other guys."

Bediako’s biggest strength directly addresses Alabama’s most detrimental issue this season: rebounding. The Crimson Tide has lost the rebounding battle by double digits in four of its five losses this season. Alabama's lack of depth has forced Taylor Bol Bowen and Amari Allen to both play up a position for significant minutes this season, at the five and four, respectively. Having Bediako in the rotation should be enough to stabilize the roster, putting those two back in their natural positions and allowing the entire lineup to function closer to its intended design.

So while Bediako ultimately could dominate on Saturday with a career performance, as long as he is functional and adjusted, Alabama does not necessarily need him to be special. His presence alone could be enough to steady a frontcourt that has spent much of the season searching for balance.