Nate Oats: Charles Bediako's NBA Draft Decision 'Surprised Us'

Oats said that he believed Bediako would return to Alabama before the Canadian decided to remain in the June draft.

© Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports

On May 22, former Alabama basketball forward Charles Bediako announced his decision to remain in the 2023 NBA Draft.

Bediako joined Brandon Miller and Noah Clowney in this year's class — apparently hearing positive news regarding his position from NBA scouts and general managers.

At the SEC Spring Meetings on Tuesday afternoon, Nick Kelly of The Tuscaloosa News reported that head coach Nate Oats and his staff were caught off guard by Bediako's decision to leave the Crimson Tide.

"[It] surprised us a little bit with the feedback we got," Oats said.

"When you don’t really pursue bigs in the portal because you anticipate it, well now you’ve got to figure out another option. That’s kind of where we’re at. We love Charles. We wish him the best and all that. Now we’re looking for some bigs."

Alabama is in need of a solid post presence in 2023-24. The Crimson Tide still has time to find options in the transfer portal while also bringing back Nick Pringle — the JUCO transfer that impressed often off the bench a season ago.

The question is — can Pringle handle a large workload like Bediako did? Can Pringle improve enough on the defensive end to be a reliable option for Oats?

There's still plenty of time between now and early-November — when Alabama will begin its journey to defend its SEC double-crown.

See Also:

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