Auburn head basketball coach Steven Pearl is much like his father, Bruce, in the fact that he doesn’t hesitate to speak about what’s on his mind.
That was the case on Thursday, when asked about rival Alabama bringing back Charles Bediako, a player who entered the 2023 NBA Draft and who had a judge in Tuscaloosa issue a temporary restraining order allowing him to suit up for the Crimson Tide once again despite playing professionally.
“It’s a slippery slope,” he said. “I’ve got to be careful with my comments because I don’t know if the young man from Alabama is playing this weekend. I know he’s eligible to play. I don’t want to put one foot in front of the other ... based on the rules we are given, or lack thereof, coaches are going to do what they have to do in order to win basketball games. I totally understand that.”
Pearl is right that there are hardly any rules governing college athletics anymore, as professional players can now win the right to return to college, schools can get away with tampering with players before they enter the portal and athletes continually have more years added to their eligibility.
Charles Bediako could return on Saturday for Crimson Tide
Alabama and Nate Oats aren’t the first to take advantage of this new trend, as Baylor brought back James Nnaji and has already played the former 31st pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
While saying it isn’t precisely illegal, Pearl did say he is having trouble wrapping his mind around the idea, especially when picturing it happening to his own team.
“It’s slippery because, if I put myself in that situation, and say I bring in Sharife Cooper,” Pearl said. “Played one year for us during COVID. He actually, based on the timeline, could do what Bediako’s doing and play the rest of the season potentially,“ Pearl said. ”What am I going to say to Travis Pettiford, Tahaad’s dad, bringing in a kid like that in the middle of the year to potentially compete with or replace his son?”
It’s just another example on a long list of the NCAA losing its way over the years.