Nate Oats reacts to NCAA’s potential eligibility rule changes
By David Wasson
Published:
One of the major storylines surrounding the Alabama basketball team this year was the midseason addition – and then departure – of big man Charles Bediako, who was suing to return to the Crimson Tide roster after playing in the NBA’s G-League.
Bediako played in five games before the judicial system shut down his return, a ruling Alabama coach Nate Oats continues to decry as inconsistent compared to European players who were similarly drafted the same year as Bediako.
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“We had a head coaches meeting. I made it clear: the rules are not cut and dried,” Oats said Friday to ESPN 1100/100.9 FM in Las Vegas. “They’re not clear. A guy was deemed eligible that was drafted in that same draft. I do think they’re trying to clean them up. And I do think part of Bediako getting eligible is letting the entire country know how inconsistent they’re applying the rules.”
Bediako averaged 10.0 points and 5.2 rebounds per game in the five contests he played for Alabama this season, games in which the Crimson Tide went 3-2.
“I think they’ve got to update the rules to where it’s not tilted toward the international kids so extreme, at all to be honest with you,” Oats added. “It needs to be an even playing field for domestic and international kids both.”
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
