Charles Bediako had a hard time holding back a shy smile while meeting the local media for the first time following No. 14 Alabama basketball’s 104-88 victory over South Dakota State last week. The freshman center modestly recapped his standout performance, downplaying his own achievements while crediting the Crimson Tide’s coaching staff for preparing him during practice.
Earlier in the night, Bediako introduced himself in a much different fashion on the court. The mild-mannered Canadian used his 7-foot-2 wingspan to bully SDSU down low, recording 12 points on 6 of 7 shooting while also pulling in six rebounds to go with a block and a steal.
Alabama refers to that version of the 7-footer as “Angry Chuck.”
Bediako says he doesn’t remember when he first picked up the nickname, but it’s beginning to stick. In fact, while Alabama appreciates the freshman’s unselfish, laidback approach off the court, it wouldn’t mind seeing more of Angry Chuck moving forward.
“Angry Chuck is just something we all talk about in practice,” Bediako said following the game. “I think it’s just like a trigger point for me. I can get more aggressive, and I think that’s what they need from me at the start of the game.”
Coaches have been tapping into Bediako’s angry side since he was growing up in the Canadian youth setup. Dwayne Washington, who runs UPlay Canada, refers to his former protege as the ideal big man for today’s game but noted that Bediako’s true potential is unleashed once his alter ego takes over on the court.
“When he does get upset, that’s when you really see him get going,” Washington told BamaInsider. “He has all the skills, but he likes to stay within his role. When they say ‘Angry Chuck,’ that just means he’s playing to his potential. A lot of times, he doesn’t want to step on people’s toes. He wants to play his position, play the center spot, just whatever the coaches need. But when he gets angry, his skill set is very wide. He can handle, shoot and do everything.”
So what’s the key to unlocking Angry Chuck on a regular basis? Monday, Alabama basketball coach Nate Oats called Bediako a nice kid, stating “it’s hard to purposely make him mad.”
Charles Hantoumakos, who coached Bediako on the youth basketball level as well as for Team Canada, has a few suggestions.
“Sometimes you’ve just kind of got to put your foot in his ass to kind of get him going and get that out of him,” Hantoumakos told BamaInsider. “Sometimes it’s challenging his manhood, telling him that other players are better than him and that he doesn’t belong on a certain level.
“I know one time I asked him if he was intimated by a guy in front of him. Like when we played Jalen Duren, I asked Charles, ‘Are you afraid of him?’ Charles gave me that look of, ‘I’ll punch you in the face,” and I knew he was ready to go.”
From there, Hantoumakos generally sat back and watched as his big man unleashed his rage on his opposition.
“The great thing about Charles is once he gets going, he doesn’t stop," Hantoumakos said. “He’s not one of those guys who fluctuates in terms of effort. Once you really get him going he’s full-go for the entire game.”
That was the case during last week’s win over SDSU. Bediako started the game off hot, providing two putbacks off of offensive rebounds in the opening five minutes. With Alabama trailing late in the first half, the big man helped ignite a game-altering run, forcing a steal on defense before hustling down the court for a fastbreak dunk on a pass from Keon Ellis.
“Big Chuck, we love him,” Alabama forward Darius Miles said Monday. “We love when he’s aggressive. When he’s aggressive, I honestly don’t think there’s a big man in the country who can stop him. He just gets us going. We really haven’t had a traditional 5 man in the past. He just shows his presence down in the paint.”
Some of Bediako’s biggest contributions are the ones that don’t end up making it onto the score sheet. According to Oats, SDSU averaged just .89 points per possession when Bediako was in the game as opposed to 1.1 points per possession it netted on the night. Along with using his length to limit opponents to difficult looks, Bediako also showed plenty of positional awareness under the basket to set up teammates for rebounds.
"I’m sure he’ll be one of our higher defensive rebounding leverage guys," Oats said following the game. "He’s been good in practice. ...He’s got a high IQ, he asks a lot of questions, every time coming out of timeout he wants to make sure he knows exactly where he’s supposed to be. We need some more guys to be like that.”
Bediako has been far and away Alabama’s most reliable big man through two games. The freshman is averaging 8.5 points and 4.5 rebounds while leading the team with a 72.7 field-goal percentage. Monday, Oats listed him alongside Ellis as the team’s top two defenders while also crediting his ability to finish above the rim.
Bediako joined the team this summer as the No. 39 overall player and No. 5 center in the country. While Alabama has been able to add the necessary shooters to successfully implement Nate Oats’ system, the belief is that Bediako’s mix of length and athleticism could help put the Tide over the top.
“That’s the piece that you have to have in that system,” Washington said. “A lot of guys want to be on the perimeter shooting 3s, but if you need to have someone there to catch the lobs and get the offensive rebounds.
“People don’t throw the ball in the post anymore, so it’s a pick-and-pop game. So if there’s going to be 100 possessions and they’re going to miss 50 on a perfect night, you’ve got a chance to get 25 offensive rebounds. That’s a lot of opportunities because people are flying out to the shooter, leaving you open for offensive rebounds. It’s a dream for anybody who’s a team player, and that’s what Charles is.”
Monday, Bediako said he’s already beginning to feel more comfortable at the college level, stating that the first two games have allowed him to gather his bearings in terms of figuring out the increased speed and physicality. As for answering his team’s call for more nastiness on the court, that shouldn’t be a problem either.
“Yeah,” he said with a shrug last week, “Angry Chuck it is.”
