Missouri is slated to take on Alabama this Tuesday, but it won't be the same Tide squad they had initially planned on facing.
Just this week, former Alabama player Charlie Bediako was granted a temporary restraining order and will now be allowed to play for the Tide. Bediako last played for Alabama in 2023, and has since played in the NBA G-league, even as recently as just a few weeks ago.
And while the NCAA and the courts sort out the confusion surrounding his eligibility, it appears as though Bediako will be a go when the Tide take on the Tigers next week.
Mizzou will have an added layer of strangeness when they take on the Tide
The seven-foot center averaged 6.4 points and 6.1 rebounds in 20 minutes per game in his last season at Alabama, and will presumably play a significant role once again. How much he actually will play against Missouri might be up in the air, however, as Bediako will have to get back into the swing of things.
It's an odd situation for sure, but really it shouldn't affect how the Tigers prepare too much. Mizzou is now losers of three of their last four after after starting out 2-0 in SEC play, and every game now is almost a must-win. Alabama will be one of their biggest tests yet, and the No. 17-ranked Tide could make or break the Tigers chances at an NCAA Tournament berth depending on how Saturday's game against Oklahoma ends.
The wild world of college basketball has now found it's way to Missouri, but ultimately the Tigers shouldn't let Bediako's play affect how they prepare for the game. He's a talented player, obviously, but center Shaun Phillips Jr. can hang with the best of them. In all honesty, the Tigers have bigger concerns, like how to stop Labaron Philon Jr.'s 22 points per game.