A contentious eligibility battle in Tuscaloosa has now escalated into a public feud between two of the SEC’s most prominent basketball coaches. Ahead of Charles Bediako’s court hearing over an injunction that would have allowed him to play this semester, Steven Pearl made it clear he was “rooting” for the former Alabama Crimson Tide men’s basketball center to regain his eligibility. That hope, however, did not materialize. And while Steven showed support, his father, Bruce, was not about to let Nate Oats off the hook.

“100% it was worth it,” Nate Oats told reporters Tuesday after Charles Bediako’s injunction was denied. “I’d do the same thing 100 times out of 100 for any of our guys when it made sense.” His decision to bring back a former player who already had an NBA two-way contract was controversial to begin with. That statement only intensified the debate and prompted former Auburn coach Bruce Pearl to weigh in again.

“Nate said he’d play (Bediako) a 100 times again, what that tells me is Nate doesn’t really care about the SEC, he doesn’t care about the NCAA. And it’s fine, you’re (just) going to care about your student-athletes, that’s fine,” Pearl said while appearing on TNT as an analyst. “But you’re a member of this conference, and you’re a member of the NCAA. What about the rest of the teams, what about the rest of the players? Why should those five teams have to play against an ineligible player? I think it was selfish, and I think it was wrong.”

He continued, “The bottom line of it he was ineligible. They appealed it. They said he was ineligible. He went to court and the court said he could play with some sort of injunction, and they played him knowing there was a possibility he could be ineligible again. They didn’t care about anybody else in the league. They didn’t care about college basketball — and I understand that. But if you don’t want to be who you say we are, then don’t act that way.”

Now, Nate Oats backing his own player is hardly surprising. Still, it is important to note that Charles Bediako had previously been cleared to play after a Tuscaloosa judge issued a Jan. 21 temporary restraining order that allowed him to suit up for the Alabama Crimson Tide once again while his injunction case was pending. That hearing was later pushed back a week due to severe winter storms across the Southeast.

The decision opened the door for Bediako to play five games with the current squad. Alabama went 3–2 in that stretch, and the former All-SEC Freshman put up 10 points per game in a little over 20 minutes of action.

In truth, plenty within the college basketball world wanted Bediako gone once he returned. Alabama’s decision to add him drew sharp criticism and heavy media attention, as Tom Izzo labeled the situation an embarrassment and Dan Hurley suggested it was the kind of issue that could push him away from coaching.

Resistance was evident even inside the SEC. Florida coach Todd Golden spoke out against Bediako’s reinstatement before the Feb. 1 matchup with Alabama, calling for accountability. Soon after, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey backed the NCAA’s position by signing an affidavit tied to the case.

From where we stand, media backlash and rival coaches’ taunts are probably the least of Nate Oats’ concerns right now. The selection committee has made it clear it will evaluate Alabama “by the roster that it has available for March Madness,” and that could seriously affect the program’s seeding given its current gaps.

How Charles Bediako’s Exit Affects Nate Oats’ Side

We all know Charles Bediako was brought in because Nate Oats was dealing with a frontcourt crisis this season. Oats had previously pushed back on moves like James Nnaji heading to Baylor, but once injuries hit his own roster, he took a far more creative approach. Now, with Collins Onyejika and Keitenn Bristow sidelined indefinitely and Bediako’s injunction denied, Alabama is left thin inside.

Going forward, you can expect sophomore Aiden Sherrell to continue logging heavy minutes, while transfer Noah Williamson could reenter the rotation after sitting out the last two games against Auburn and Texas A&M. The Bucknell transfer is averaging just 1.2 points and 1.7 rebounds per game this season, numbers that hardly reassure the Crimson Tide supporters.

But Nate Oats remains optimistic about the situation.

“You can also go small, play Taylor [Bol Bowen] at the five,” Nate Oats said. “Go small, play London [Jemsion] at the five if we need to. We’ve got options. It’s a little bit harder with some of these teams that have real bigs, and Ole Miss definitely has some real bigs. But we’re gonna have to figure it out. Hopefully Noah can…maybe he’s gotten a little rest, got his body rejuvenated, play a little more athletic. He was pretty good in that Kentucky game, particularly after Aiden went out.”

Alabama cleared its first hurdle without Charles Bediako, cruising past Ole Miss 93–74. But with a 17–7 overall record and a 7–4 conference mark, the chances of securing NCAA tournament hosting rights remain uncertain. Nate Oats and his team will have to keep stacking wins from here if they want to lock it in.

So, how far do you think this Alabama squad can really go this season? Drop your predictions in the comments.