'Utterly ridiculous.' Tom Izzo takes aim at Alabama over Charles Bediako case
Legendary Michigan State coach Tom Izzo has been outspoken in the past about the current state of college sports’ eligibility rules, but Charles Bediako’s return to the court for Alabama has the Spartans coach fuming.
Bediako, who was granted a temporary restraining order to join the Crimson Tide against Tennessee on Saturday, Jan. 24, will rejoin the college ranks after playing professional basketball for the past three seasons, most recently with the G League’s Motor City Cruise.
“I just get mad,” Izzo said. “I don’t follow it to worry about the cases. It’s pretty evident that I have no say, the coaches have no say. And coaches are doing what they want to do. … Utterly ridiculous. And yet, we have judges now doing it. We have Congress not jumping in. We have the NCAA with no say. So it’s the wild, wild west, so be prepared for anything.”
Izzo’s criticism is particularly notable in this case, as it is pointed at Alabama’s Nate Oats — despite not mentioning him by name — with whom he has a long-standing relationship. Oats has never been on an Izzo staff, but he did coach at Romulus, Michigan high school for 11 years and got an endorsement from Izzo to Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne before Oats was hired in Tuscaloosa. Oats was a frequent guest at Michigan State practices while he coached at Romulus.
To Izzo’s point, Oats was critical when Baylor added James Nnaji, who was picked No. 31 in the 2023 NBA draft.
“I think it’s taking away opportunities from kids coming out of high school,” Oats said a month ago. “I was a high school coach for 11 years. I wanted my kids to get opportunities when they left my program. This is taking opportunities away from those kids.”
The course reversal was not lost on Izzo.
“I get a kick out of it, though. Some of them are coaches that were calling and complaining last year about it,” Izzo said. “But, hey, when in Rome do like the Romans, I guess. That’s the way it is. I think that one supersedes the other jokes, the way it went. And I recruited Bediako.”
Todd Golden calls out Alabama judge in Charles Bediako case as Bama booster
While Izzo took issue with Oats’ role in Bediako’s return, Florida coach Todd Golden was more critical of the machinations and local politics that allowed the temporary restraining order to be granted in the first place.
“They were able to finagle the situation where they got a judge in Alabama that is actually a donor at Alabama to write a temporary restraining order to allow this guy to play games at Alabama. I think there’s a lot of people that aren’t necessarily happy about it and don’t necessarily agree with it,” Golden said on the local ‘Gator Talk.‘ “But with all this intervention from judges, there’s only so much the league can do, there’s only so much other member schools in the league can do. We just need some people to stand up and start taking a stand.”
The NCAA’s Bediako statement earlier in the week made it clear the collegiate governing body was being boxed out.
“Mr. Bediako signed three NBA contracts after competing in college for two seasons. The NCAA has not and will not grant eligibility to any prospective or returning student-athletes who have signed an NBA contract,” the statement read. “Eligibility rules ensure high school students get a shot at earning scholarships, and we will continue to consistently apply and defend these rules.”
Some of college basketball’s most prominent names have been outspoken against the practice of signing former pros from the jump. Izzo previously criticized the NCAA for allowing it to happen, while John Calipari also said the NCAA had “no rules.”
Alabama plays Tennessee at 8:30 p.m. ET (7:30 p.m. local time) on Saturday.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Charles Bediako eligibility draws criticism from Tom Izzo, Todd Golden
