Nate Oats Reacts to Charles Bediako's Eligibility Denial

The Alabama head coach responds to Tuscaloosa County judge Daniel Pruet's decision to end the Crimson Tide center's eligibility.

Nate Oats analyzes the court in the second half of the game against Purdue on November 13, 2025. | Sarah Munzenmaier/Alabama Crimson Tide on SI

Charles Bediako lost his injunction hearing against the NCAA.

Tuscaloosa County judge Daniel Pruet ruled Monday in favor of the defense, as the Alabama center will not be able to suit up for the remainder of the Crimson Tide's season.

Alabama basketball head coach Nate Oats reacted to Pruet's decision during Wednesday evening's 'Hey Coach' radio show. Here's everything Oats said:

"Obviously super disappointed," Oats said. "Disappointed in the whole thing, to be honest with you. I didn't think it ever should have gotten to court. I thought the NCAA should have made him eligible based on over a hundred current college basketball players [being] former professionals, most of them over in Europe. Some in the G-League. Guys being drafted. Rights owned by NBA teams, as in [Baylor's] James Nnaji being eligible to play.

"I thought it was kind of a no-brainer with the NCAA. Then I didn't think it would much of an issue. The NCAA hasn't really changed much without courts forcing them to change. I thought the courts would see in the inconsistencies in the rulings and agree with Charles' attorneys.

To me, the NCAA's point of why Charles shouldn't be eligible was all these rules that they have, but they're not applying those rules to all these other players they've made eligible. To me, it was very disappointing in the whole case. Disappointing for Charles.

"Disappointed in the ruling. Disappointed in the system, both the NCAA, the courts, the whole thing, just with all the inconsistencies with who's eligible and who's not. It just seems like the European international players are being given preferential treatment over the Americans. It more so happened today.

"Hopefully, at some point, somebody is going to win a ruling like this. It wasn't here today. But at some point, somebody will win one and change the system because that's how it has to get changed in the NCAA. They don't make changes on their own, typically."

During his 70 games (67 starts from 2021-23) in Tuscaloosa, Bediako averaged 6.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 19.3 minutes per game. He was a member of the All-SEC Freshman Team during his first year and the conference's All-Defensive Team during his second year.

After not being selected in the 2023 NBA Draft, he went to the NBA G League. Bediako is currently a member of the Motor City Cruise, but spent 2023-24 with the Austin Spurs and 2024-25 with the Grand Rapids Gold. He never played in an NBA game.

Bediako is averaging 10.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in five games with the Crimson Tide this season.

BamaCentral was in the Tuscaloosa County courtroom during the hearing. The hearing began at 9:30 a.m. CT on Wednesday. David Holt, Bediako's attorney, made his case up until 9:58 a.m., while Taylor Askew, one of the NCAA's attorneys, went until 10:35 a.m. before a 10-minute rebuttal from Holt.

Click here for BamaCentral's notes and quotes taken in chronological order from the case between plaintiff attorney Holt and defendant attorney Askew.

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