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Florida fans chant 'G League Dropout' at Charles Bediako during free throw

Barkley-Truaxby: Barkley Truax02/01/26BarkleyTruax

It didn’t take long for Florida fans to let Charles Bediako hear it during the Crimson Tide’s road trip to Gainesville on Sunday afternoon. Fans had strong message ready for the former three-year pro when he was shooting free throws in the first half.

“G League Dropout,” the student section chanted. The Alabama forward made both free throws amid the heckles.

The chants pointed toward Bediako comes amid his lawsuit against the NCAA regarding his eligibility. He originally left Alabama in 2023 in pursuit of an NBA career. He played for three teams in the G League and even signed a two-way deal with the San Antonio Spurs.

Notably, the NCAA stated that it “has not and will not grant eligibility to any prospective or returning student-athletes who have signed an NBA contract.” Their main objective is to help high school students earn a shot at a college athletics scholarship.

A two-way contract is a type of NBA contract, so Bediako’s re-arrival in Tuscaloosa is unprecedented in college basketball to this point. Several teams who have European talent on their roster, or even former G-League talent that never played college hoops are eligible because of just that — even Baylor’s James Nnaji who was even drafted in 2023, the same year Bediako turned pro. They never played college basketball and never signed a NBA contract.

Sunday’s game is the third for Bediako back in the Alabama lineup. He’s been a difference-maker as well averaging 13.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game during his first two matchups. Florida head coach Todd Golden was blunt in his assessment of Bediako’s return and how it impacts Alabama’s chances against the Gators.

“We’re going to beat them anyway,” Golden said via Gator Talk. “If he plays, we’ll beat them anyway.”

During the first half, Bediako finished with four points (1-3 FG) and five rebounds in 15 minutes on the court. The Gators went into the halftime break with a 46-36 lead, assisting on 12 of the 19 field goals they made in the first half. Sunday’s matchup is the only time these two teams will meet during the regular season.