With a week off, Tennessee basketball finally has a chance to hit the reset button. Turnovers and mental lapses have been a thorn all season, and if they don’t get that cleaned up, the Vols could be in real trouble. Rick Barnes needs to have his team ready and focused against Alabama on Saturday or risk testing the patience of an already frustrated fan base.
Andy Katz’s first bracket prediction hints at Tennessee basketball's postseason outlook
There's some bad news for the Vols regarding Tennessee's road game versus the Crimson Tide on Saturday night. Tennessee's matchcup has just gotten exponentially tougher.
AL.com's Nick Kelly has reported that former Alabama center Charles Bediako has been granted a temporary restraining order and is immediately eligible to participate in all Alabama basketball activities and games.
News: Charles Bediako has been granted a temporary restraining order and is immediately eligible to participate in all Alabama basketball activities and games, per court documents obtained by @aldotcom
— Nick Kelly (@_NickKelly) January 21, 2026
Charles Bediako is eligible to play vs Tennessee
It feels almost poetic that this news drops right before Tennessee’s matchup. Alabama getting Bediako cleared to play on Saturday is a brutal break for the Vols and completely shifts the tone heading into the game.
Bediako was a former highly-touted recruit from Canada who transferred to IMG Academy before signing with Nate Oats and Alabama. He played two years for the Crimson Tide before entering the 2023 NBA Draft. During his time at Alabama, he averaged 6.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks. He eventually went undrafted and has spent the last few years in the G-League. Last season for the Grand Rapids Gold, Bediako averaged 8.8 points and 7.1 rebounds.
You can’t help but feel like Tennessee is getting screwed over here. They are going up against a guy who has spent the last three years playing professional basketball. The Vols have no film on how he'll be used at Alabama with their current roster construction. It's just not that fair. Plus, tying this to football, if Bediako can come back, Joey Aguilar should be able to as well. The NCAA makes no sense in anything they do.
The precedent has now been set with the NCAA. Anyone can come back to collegiate sports if they leave early.