Nate Oats Reacts to Todd Golden's Comments on Alabama, Charles Bediako Case

The Florida head coach isn't in favor of the Crimson Tide center playing against the Gators on Sunday, but Golden claimed that "we're going to beat 'em anyways."

Florida basketball coach Todd Golden and Alabama basketball coach Nate Oats shake hands during pregame against Florida at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, AL on Wednesday, Mar 5, 2025. | Photo by Crimson Tide Photos / UA Athletics

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Florida head coach Todd Golden has been looking forward to facing Alabama for more than a week in advance.

Alabama has been the center of the college basketball world for nearly two weeks, as former Crimson Tide center Charles Bediako sued the NCAA on Jan. 20 with hopes of regaining collegiate eligibility and a Tuscaloosa judge granted him a temporary restraining order.

Bediako has played for Alabama in each of the last two games, and countless coaches, analysts and fans have voiced their opinions on the matter. Golden spoke on 'Gator Talk' last week about the situation, as he's not exactly on board with it and claimed, "We're going to beat 'em anyways." He then spoke with Field of 68 earlier this week and thought that UA head coach Nate Oats wouldn't care and that, "He's going to expect to kick our a— too."

"I'm with him," Oats said during Friday's press conference. "I mean, shoot, they're the defending national champs. They should be planning on beating us. That's how it's supposed to look.

"Since I've got here, we've got more SEC Championships than anybody else in the SEC and since he's got there, they got more National Championships. He's done a great job, and we were one of the better programs when he walked in. We don't have that National Championship, they do and I expect nothing less.

"He should be trying to kick our butt, whether we have Charles or not. So I think Charles helps us in the game. They've got monster lineups up front. But, you know, we were planning on having Collins [Onyejiaka], planning on having Keitenn Bristow, they both played the interior and we lost them."

Oats has been asked about his thoughts from critics regarding Bediako's case numerous times, but he said on Friday that, "Unless it's something to do with our team that I need to address, just leave it off my plate."

Bediako's preliminary injunction hearing has been rescheduled for Feb. 6. The hearing will be one day before the Crimson Tide's road matchup against Auburn in the Iron Bowl of Basketball.

"I think Charles has a great case for why he should be eligible," Oats said. "I'm in 100 percent agreement with him and his attorneys on his case. I think what the attorneys and judges decide is the final ruling at some point, but for this game, we've got him and I think he helps us win.

"Whether he was going to play, not play, I'm not sure when Todd said that, but I would hope they're planning on beating us. I don't think he's going to walk into a game being the defending national champions, planning on taking a loss."

No. 23 Alabama will play its 21st game of the regular season, and the eighth of SEC play, on Sunday, Feb. 1, on the road against No. 19 Florida.

Alabama made it very clear throughout the last two seasons that it could hang with and beat some of the best teams in the country and being the only school in the country to advance to back-to-back Elite Eights reflects that. However, there is no doubt that Florida has given the Crimson Tide a ton of problems over the last two years.

Alabama has lost its last four matchups against Florida. Here is the Gators' point total for each game: 105, 102, 99 and 104. The Crimson Tide's defense has been a shaky subject for the past couple of years, but it has shown positive signs against many SEC teams, just not Florida and head coach Todd Golden.

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