Charles Bediako says Alabama 'can win it all' with him back - ESPN

Hours before his second collegiate debut after a stint as a two-way player in the NBA, and a G League standout, Charles Bediako said Alabama could win a national title with him on the roster.

The 7-foot center played two years with the Crimson Tide in 2021-22 and 2022-23 before not being selected in the 2023 NBA draft.

"[Coach Nate Oats] has a plan," Bediako told Yea-Alabama.com, a website for the school's NIL collective. «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.»

Days after he scored four points and grabbed three rebounds in the Motor City Cruise's win over the Birmingham Squadron in the G League last Saturday, a Tuscaloosa judge cleared Bediako this week to play college basketball even though he had already played multiple years in the G League and signed a two-way contract with the San Antonio Spurs following the 2023 NBA draft. Other players with professional experience, including 2023 draft pick James Nnaji, have also been granted eligibility by the NCAA in recent months.

Bediako, however, is the first player with collegiate experience to sign an NBA contract and get the chance to return to college basketball. Tuesday's preliminary injunction hearing for Bediako, who is expected to play in Alabama's matchup against Tennessee on Saturday night, could alter the framework of college basketball and the NBA draft and perhaps open the door for more players with NBA experience to pursue another stint in college.

Bediako said it has been all «positive vibes» since he returned to the team this week, even though he's still getting to know his teammates.

«Half of them I met today,» he said.