‘Been waiting on this to lay eyes on him’ — Ron Slay has a fiery message to one Tennessee Vol ahead of clash with Alabama and their new pro player
The VFL didn’t hold back about how the Vols should be approaching this situation.
Ron Slay doesn’t hold back or keep his emotions from appearing on his sleeve when he discusses what he’s feeling. And that was the case this week regarding his Tennessee Vols before they take on the Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday night in Tuscaloosa.
The Crimson Tide have made the news for all the wrong reasons this week. Head coach Nate Oats cranked up the controversy meter to 11 and broke off the knob with his decision to bring back former Crimson Tide center Charles Bediako to the program, a move that even some Crimson Tide backers have been critical of. Of course, the problem is Bediako has been playing in the NBA G League for the last three seasons.
But thanks to a very friendly ruling from a local judge in Alabama, Bediako — who played for Alabama from 2021-23 before declaring for the NBA Draft — is free to play on Saturday against the Vols. And Slay thinks the Vols need to welcome that challenge in a way that former Tennessee teams would have.
Slay went on “The Ramon and Will Show” on 104.5 FM on Friday, and he told Tennessee center Felix Okpara how he would handle the situation with Bediako from the jump.
Ron Slay has a strong message to Tennessee center Felix Okpara when going up against Alabama’s Charles Bediako
“If I was Felix Okpara, when we come out to warm up, I’m me,” Slay said. “Standing at halfcourt in Tuscaloosa in their gym, and I’m waiting on Bediako to walk out. And when he walks out, I don’t even need to warm up. I’ve been waiting on this since it was announced on Monday, that he’s going to be playing, or Tuesday, whenever it was announced. I’ve been waiting on this to lay eyes on him.
“I’m going to tell him, ‘Hey, man, look at what they did to get you. They brought you down here in front of the whole country, and in front of T-town in Tuscaloosa on a home game — you may not even be able to play after this — but they reached all the way in their bag and brought you so you can let them down. You’ve got to face me, and I’m strapped and ready to roll. And you’ve got every inch in your body. It better be ready, dog, because I get the opportunity to show these scouts what happens to a pro.’
“What. I’m telling you coach. I know you’ve got a system. I know you’ve got a rotation. If you take me out, coach, this is going to be the first time you’re disrespected on national television. I will not walk off that court. I’m eating him for lunch. You hear me? It ain’t no ifs, ands, or buts.
“And that right there, Will, is what scares me about this Tennessee team. Because Zakai (Zeigler), Jahmai (Mashack), they’ll be looking at this. Admiral Schofield, Grant (Williams). They’ll be, ‘hell yeah, put him out there.’ That’s the culture that you’re talking about, that you used to [have], that we’re not seeing.”
It’s hard to argue with what Slay is saying. If there’s one thing Tennessee never lacked in previous years, it was toughness, both physically and mentally. Between the players that Slay mentioned and others, like Uros Plavsic, Josiah-Jordan James, and Yves Pons, Tennessee would not have taken this kind of thing lying down.
So far this season, Tennessee has lacked that same grit, particularly on the defensive end of the court. In their three SEC losses, they’ve allowed 49 or more points in the second half. That could not be any less like Tennessee basketball on Rick Barnes’ watch. And letting a pro player come in and not take that challenge personally is indeed not something you would see from any of those previous teams either.
Slay’s call out of Okpara should apply to Jaylen Carey, J.P. Estrella, and every other Tennessee Vol who will be bumping hips with Bediako on Saturday. This is their chance to take the nonsense of pro players returning to college and do something about it.
The old guard at Tennessee would have. Does this team have the guts to do anything about it?
We’ll find out when the game tips off a little past 8:30 pm ET.
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