Tag: Charles bediako

San Antonio Spurs waive former Alabama Center Charles Bediako

Former Alabama Center waived by the San Antonio Spurs

The 2022-2023 college basketball season in Tuscaloosa was a special one as the Crimson Tide were champions of the SEC and even earned the No. 1 overall seed in last year’s March Madness. Alabama then proceeded to lose all three assistant coaches, three players to the NBA and a handful of others to the portal immediately after.

Brandon Miller and Noah Clowney both received NBA Draft first-round grades so it was no surprise to see them depart. The surprise came when [autotag]Charles Bediako[/autotag] decided to stay with the draft process. During Bediako’s two years in Tuscaloosa, he averaged 6.6 ppg, 5.2 rpg and 1.7 bpg in 19.3 minutes and was named to the SEC All-Freshman team.

Bediako wasn’t taken in the NBA Draft, but he did sign with the Spurs for the NBA Summer League. In late October, he joined the team on a two-way contract, but was unfortunately waived late Friday evening. The seven-footer will likely have other suitors, but it is unfortunate news nonetheless.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Sam Murphy on Twitter @SamMurphy02.

Summer Leaguer Charles Bediako would be ‘strong addition’ to Spurs

Should the San Antonio Spurs give Charles Bediako a chance?

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As the San Antonio Spurs‘ offseason progressed, it was clear that Victor Wembanyama was the center of attention, and rightfully so. The Spurs made him the first overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, and considering the 19-year-old is already an international superstar. In his Summer League debut, the arena sold out.

But he wasn’t the only player on the Spurs’ Summer League squad. It was full of other interesting talent, including the likes of Julian Champagnie, Dominick Barlow, and Malaki Branham (although the latter had an up-and-down stint). And among the youngsters, rookies, and “veterans,” undrafted free agent Charles Bediako made a name for himself.

According to Matt Guzman of Inside the Spurs, Bediako would be a “strong addition” to the team should San Antonio look to bring him aboard.

“Should Barlow end up with a two-way contract, that does lower the odds of Bediako earning one as well, but then again, it could happen.

San Antonio will likely be monitoring his status around the league before making a decision, but if it does decide to test the waters with Bediako, he’s already shown them that what he can do … and that would be a strong addition to the Spurs’ roster,” Guzman wrote.

In five Summer League games, Bediako averaged 5.2 points and 5.2 rebounds while shooting 50.0% from the field.

At 6-foot-11, Bediako has good size and showed enough skill in Summer League, and at just 21 years old, he still has plenty of time to develop his game and put on even more muscle.

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10 undrafted rookies who should get offered two-way deals after NBA Summer League

Charles Bediako and Nathan Mensah should have NBA deals.

One of the greatest joys of the NBA Summer League is watching top prospects fight to keep their dreams alive.

Now that NBA 2K24 Summer League has passed and the Cleveland Cavaliers were crowned champions, this year was no exception. We saw several second-rounders outperform their draft position and other notable undrafted free agents look like potential steals on two-way deals.

But there are still several UDFA who are looking to earn their own two-way deal and potentially showed enough while on the court to receive that chance from an NBA team.

We ranked the prospects most likely to get that call from a front office.

This story used AI-Powered statistics provided by the Stats Perform database.

RELATED: 5 second-round picks in 2023 who already look like draft steals during NBA Summer League

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Alabama center Charles Bediako signs one-year deal with San Antonio Spurs

Alabama center Charles Bediako went undrafted on Thursday night of the 2023 NBA Draft. He signed a one-year deal with the San Antonio Spurs as an undrafted free agent.

Alabama center Charles Bediako was signed to a one-year deal by the San Antonio Spurs. Bediako went undrafted in the 2023 NBA Draft.

The native of Brampton, Ontario spent two seasons in Tuscaloosa. As a freshman, Bediako averaged 6.7 points per game, 4.3 rebounds per game, and 1.5 blocks per game. He was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team.

During his sophomore season, Bediako showed strides of improvement. Bediako was more effective on the defensive end as both a rebounder and shot blocker. He averaged 6.4 points per game, 6.0 rebounds per game, and 1.7 blocks per game. Bediako was listed on the SEC All-Defensive Team.

The best game of Bediako’s career came in 2022 when he scored 14 points and grabbed 16 rebounds in a triple-overtime win against North Carolina.

In a surprising series of unexpected events, Bediako entered his name into the NBA draft and ultimately chose to remain in the draft. He could have chosen to return for his junior season with the Crimson Tide. Alabama head coach Nate Oats and the rest of the coaching staff were surprised to see Bediako forgo his college eligibility.

Bediako will likely compete on the Spurs Summer League Team. It will be interesting to see how the franchise chooses to use Bediako after having drafted Victor Wembanyama with the No. 1 overall pick. The Spurs will have plenty of size heading into the 2023 season. Bediako is a 7-feet tall and Wembanyama is 7-foot-5.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow the Alabama basketball program.

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How to watch the 2023 NBA Draft: Start time, TV channel and more

How to watch the 2023 NBA draft on Thursday night!

Draft day has officially arrived! Later tonight, from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, NBA Commissioner David Silver will officially open up the 2023 NBA draft.

As many as three former Alabama basketball stars could hear their names called. The freshman duo of Brandon Miller and Noah Clowney are both expected to be selected in the first round with Miller potentially being the No. 2 overall selection right behind the French unicorn, Victor Wembanyama.

The third Tide star who could potentially be drafted is sophomore Charles Bedikao, who surprisingly surrendered his remaining college eligibility to remain in the draft. Bediako has a slim chance of being selected in the second round, but most draft experts believe the 7-footer will go undrafted.

Below is everything you need to know to watch the 2023 NBA draft!

2023 NBA mock draft roundup: Where Alabama players are projected to be selected

Where Brandon Miller, Noah Clowney, and Charles Bediako are projected to land in the 2023 NBA draft!

On Thursday night, the 2023 NBA draft will get underway from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York and as many as three former Alabama basketball stars could hear their names called.

The freshman duo of Brandon Miller and Noah Clowney are both expected to be selected in the first round with Miller potentially being the No. 2 overall selection right behind the French unicorn, Victor Wembanyama.

The third Tide star who could potentially be drafted is sophomore Charles Bedikao who surprisingly surrendered his remaining college eligibility to remain in the draft. Bediako has a slim chance of being selected in the second round, but most draft experts believe the 7-footer will go undrafted.

Roll Tide Wire has assembled a list of eight different mock drafts from various outlets to give you a better idea of where each of the former Alabama standouts could be selected on Thursday night.

Catching up with the Boston Celtics’ 2023 NBA draft workouts Part IV

Let’s dive into who the Celtics might be targeting at No. 35.

Even with the offseason here in earnest, the Boston Celtics have plenty on their plate regarding their future as they continue to work out prospects projected to go in the second round of the ’23 NBA draft.

With the Celtics likely to need cheap depth in the future, look for prospects who are either polished enough to get some real minutes in their rookie campaign or who might be okay with a season or two stashed abroad while the team makes decisions about how it will use the new two way player slot added to rosters in the latest collective bargaining agreement recently adopted by the league.

Adding to our previous reporting of the team’s known workouts comes a new wave of prospects Boston has been working out — let’s dive into who the Celtics might be targeting at No. 35.

No. 1 transfer portal PF scheduled to visit with Alabama MBB

Grant Nelson, the top player in the NCAA transfer portal plans to visit with Nate Oats and the Tide!

Yesterday, North Dakota State’s power forward Grant Nelson withdrew his name from the NBA draft. However, he did enter the transfer portal at the beginning of May and will continue to look at his transfer options ahead of the 2023-2024 season.

Nelson is the top-ranked player in the portal and has no shortage of suitors. He was a first-team All-Summit selection this past season while averaging 17.9 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.7 blocks per game.

With the loss of Charles Bediako, Nelson would be the perfect player to fill in that missing role for the Crimson Tide. He already spent three years with the Bison, so he is entering the fourth year of eligibility and at 6’11, Nelson could play either the four or five as Alabama does lack front-court depth.

Fortunately, for Alabama fans, Nelson already plans to meet with Nate Oats and visit Alabama. The actual visit date has yet to be determined. Once a recruit gets onto campus and sees the freedom they will have in a Nate Oats system, it is hard to turn down the Tide.

Hank South of 247Sports first reported the news Nelson planning a visit to Tuscaloosa.

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Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Sam Murphy on Twitter @SamMurphy02.

Alabama MBB reaches out to Washington State transfer Adrame Diongue

The Alabama coaching staff recently reached out to Washington State transfer center Adrame Diongue. With Alabama losing Charles Bediako to the NBA Draft, the emphasis in the transfer portal seems to be on the frontcourt positions.

Alabama basketball had one of its best seasons in program history just a season ago. Several months later, the Tide find themselves with an incomplete roster and are scrambling to fill spots. One of the transfers that the Alabama coaching staff has reached out to is Washington State transfer Adrame Diongue.

Diongue is a 7-feet tall and 190 pounds. He is originally from Dakar, Senegal. Coming out of high school, Drongue was ranked as a four-star prospect out of Compass Prep in Chandler, Arizona. Despite fielding offers from blue-blood programs such as Kentucky and Kansas, Drongue chose to sign with Washington State.

In one season with the Cougars, Drongue averaged 1.3 points per game, 1.8 rebounds per game, and shot 52.6% from the floor. Drongue played sparingly and scored a season-high six points against Prairie View A&M.

With Alabama center Charles Bediako likely heading to the NBA, the coaching staff is searching for replacements. One of the most viable options to be able to protect the rim and block shots is Drongue. It certainly seems that Drongue is on Alabama’s radar at this point in time.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow the Alabama basketball program and its involvement in the transfer portal.

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2 potential undrafted centers Sixers should look into after 2023 NBA draft

Here are two big men who could potentially go undrafted in 2023 who the Philadelphia 76ers should look into.

The Philadelphia 76ers do not have a draft pick in the 2023 NBA draft. They traded away their first-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets in the deal that brought James Harden to the City of Brotherly Love at the 2022 deadline, and they were docked second-round picks in 2023 and 2024 by the NBA for tampering.

However, that doesn’t mean the Sixers will or should be inactive around the draft process. There will be a number of talented players who go undrafted, meaning the Sixers should be able to add a young player who could potentially become a rotation player.

One should not brush off undrafted players. The Miami Heat are a prime example of investing in young talent and giving them time to develop. In the Sixers’ case, here are two big men who could go undrafted but could help in the long run: