Alabama Crimson Tide big man Charles Bediako was met with a hostile welcome by the Florida Gators crowd when the two teams clashed on the weekend. On Sunday, Feb. 1, Bediako and the rest of Nate Oats’ Crimson Tide faced the reigning national champions, Todd Golden’s Florida Gators on the latter’s home court, the Stephen C. O’Connell Center in Gainesville, Florida.
As seen in a video posted by @espn on Instagram, Bediako did not have the best of welcomes. It is usual for an away player to get booed and heckled by the home crowd throughout games. But for Bediako, Florida fans and spectators chanted “G-League dropout” whenever the returning stalwart was attempting free throws.
“Former NBA G League player Charles Bediako hearing it from the Gator fans at the free throw line for Alabama,” @espn on Instagram captioned.
“G-League dropout,” Florida Gators fans chanted towards Bediako.
Unfortunately for the crowd, Bediako ended up bouncing in his free throw attempt. Nevertheless, the Gators had the last laugh against Bediako and company, as they went on to dominate their matchup with a 23-point victory, 100-77. In the loss, Bediako had six points, a team-high seven rebounds, and four blocks in 24 minutes of playing time. Alabama falls to an overall record of 14-7 (4-4 SEC).
Read More: Todd Golden Drops Fiery Response for Charles Bediako’s Return Ahead of Florida vs Alabama Clash
Nate Oats Clarifies His Previous Statement Against Professional Players Returning to College
In an article written by collegiate hoops writer Jaren Kawada of ClutchPoints, Nate Oats was asked about his previous statement in which he was against former NBA draftee James Nnaji being slotted into the Baylor Bears lineup despite his professional experience. Nnaji’s path is similar to that of Charles Bediako, which is why Oats opted to clarify his comment.
“I didn’t say that. I said I was opposed to all the pros coming in, not just the Baylor kid. I do [still feel the same way]. What we have now is Americans at 18, 19 coming out of high school, having to compete with 23-year-old freshmen from Europe. The Nnaji kid was one of them. It wasn’t just him; it was all of them. You can’t play four years of professional basketball and then come over here,” Oats explained.
“18, 19-year-old high school seniors are competing with them for scholarships. That was my statement,” he continued.
Also Read: Fans React As NCAA Take Legal Action vs Charles Bediako’s Alabama Judge After Suspicious Information Made Public
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in tennis, college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
