Even with a loss to Tennessee on Saturday, Alabama center Charles Bediako believes the Tide are National Championship favorites with him on their roster.
Bediako sent shockwaves through the country when he returned to Alabama midway through the 2025-2026 college basketball season despite spending the last two years in the NBA G League. Regardless of all the noise, Bediako believes his presence has turned the Tide into national title favorites.
“[Nate Oats] has a plan,” Bediako told Yea-Alabama.com. “I'm ready to help these guys win and also give them some of my knowledge. We've got a great group of guys. I think we can win it all. I'm just excited, just as much as they are.”
Bediako officially returned to college basketball on Saturday and made his season debut against Tennessee. He recorded 13 points, three rebounds, two blocks and two steals in 25 minutes off the bench in a 79-73 loss.
Bediako previously played for Alabama from 2021 to 2023 before entering the 2023 NBA Draft. He went unselected and wound up inking a contract with the Austin Spurs of the G League. The 23-year-old spent the 2024-2025 season with the Grand Rapids Gold after playing for the Denver Nuggets' 2024 Summer League team.
Alabama falls to 13-6 in Charles Bediako's return
Although Bediako looked good in his controversial return, Alabama still suffered its third defeat in its last five games at the hands of Tennessee. The Tide are now 13-6 on the year, giving themselves a lot of ground to cover before thinking about the National Championship.
While Bediako played, Alabama was without its second-leading scorer, Aden Holloway, and its third-leading scorer, Amari Allen. Their absences left Nate Oats' rotation uncomfortably thin as he figured out how to implement Bediako into the lineup.
Without Holloway and Allen, Alabama struggled to deal with Tennessee's stout defense. The Volunteers held the Tide to 44 percent shooting, including just 23 percent from deep.
Sophomore guard Labaron Philon Jr. unsurprisingly led the team with 26 points, though on just 7-for-20 from the floor. Veteran guard Latrell Wrightsell Jr. pitched in 14 points, with Bediako being the only other Alabama player to notch double figures.
Tennessee had only two players reach double figures, but that was all it needed. Standout freshman Nate Ament and senior guard Ja'Kobi Gillespie combined for 53 of the Volunteers' 79 points in the win.
Alabama only had nine assists as a team, seven of which came from Philon.
