Alabama Basketball: Projected starting lineup and depth chart for 2021-22 season

Center

Starter: Charles Bediako

Charles Bediako is a 6’11” 215lb center out of IMG Academy who according to 247 Sports is the 34th ranked player in the Class of 2021, and he is the sixth-ranked center in the class as well.

Bediako is an impressive big man who has the capability of playing both sides of the ball, on offense he is good at grabbing offensive boards and helping his team get second-chance buckets, and on defense, he’s a large presence in the post both grabbing boards, and blocking shots.

I would fully expect Bediako to start from the jump, and he will fill the role Jordan Bruner leaves behind, and he will likely do it well. Bediako is going to be a large piece of this Alabama team, and I would expect him to lead the Tide in rebounds.

Bench: Alex Tchikou

Alex Tchikou was expected to be a large part of the 2020-21 Alabama team, but prior to the season starting, Tchikou suffered an Achilles injury which forced him to miss the entirety of the season. However, he is now back, and with that, I would expect him to play a large role for Alabama.

Whether that be starting or off the bench, Tchikou is going to be vital to Alabama’s success. He is a 6’11” 205lb forward/center who has the ability to shoot from the outside, but he will have most success around the rim as he is a skilled finisher around the rim, and is very capable of giving the Tide second-chance buckets.

I would fully expect to see Tchikou start a decent amount of games, but I would not expect him to start right out of the gate. We may see him start a little bit at the four with Noah Gurley coming off the bench, but I wouldn’t expect that to happen as often as him starting at the five.