Alabama head coach Nate Oats didn’t hold back when speaking up for one of his players, Charles Bediako, and in the process, he made it clear he had issues with SEC commissioner Greg Sankey’s stance in an ongoing legal battle involving the NCAA.
The dispute centers around Bediako, a former Alabama center who turned pro by joining the G League, then tried to return to college basketball. After the court denied him a temporary injunction that would’ve allowed him to play immediately, Oats voiced his frustration - not just with the ruling, but with Sankey’s role in it.
Sankey had submitted an affidavit in support of the NCAA, arguing that athletes who go pro gain an unfair advantage over their college counterparts. He cited NCAA Bylaw 12.2.4, which deals with contracts and compensation, and emphasized that professional athletes benefit from focusing solely on their sport without the added responsibilities of academics. According to Sankey, that kind of singular focus - coupled with access to professional-level training and resources - creates a competitive imbalance if those athletes are allowed to return to college sports.
Oats wasn’t buying that logic.
“My job as a head coach is to do the right thing by our guys. Charles is one of our guys,” Oats said.
“That was the right thing to do. It’s not some mercenary deal.”
He went on to challenge the notion that professional leagues like the G League offer better developmental environments than college programs. In fact, Oats argued the opposite - that many G League players are looking to return to college precisely because the conditions aren’t as favorable as people might assume.
“There’s a reason there’s a lot of G League players trying to come back to college,” Oats said. “They don’t get the same treatment. The money’s better here, the development’s better, the diet’s better, the travel’s better.”
That’s a bold statement - but it’s one that reflects the evolving reality of college basketball in the NIL era. With more financial support, improved facilities, and structured development plans, top-tier college programs like Alabama can offer an environment that rivals, and in some cases surpasses, what’s available in the lower tiers of pro basketball.
Oats also pointed to Bediako’s physical regression in the G League as evidence that the professional path isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be.
“Charles actually has lost weight since he went to the G League,” Oats said. “His development wasn’t what you’d think - you know, ‘pro,’” he added, using air quotes to underscore his skepticism.
When Bediako left Alabama to pursue his pro career, he reportedly weighed 235 pounds. Now, listed at 225 on Alabama’s roster, he’s back on campus - still enrolled as a student, but sidelined from competition. Oats made it clear the Crimson Tide are committed to helping him rebuild.
“We’re going to continue to help him gain weight and develop as a basketball player,” Oats said. “100% it was worth it. I would do the same thing 100 times out of 100 for any of our guys that it made sense to do it with.”
At the heart of Oats’ comments is a coach standing up for his player - and pushing back against a system he believes is out of step with the modern game. As the lines between college and pro basketball continue to blur, the debate over eligibility, fairness, and what truly benefits athletes is only heating up. And if Oats' remarks are any indication, coaches aren’t staying silent.