Charles Bediako’s second run with Alabama is over.
A Tuscaloosa judge denied Bediako’s motion for a preliminary injunction that would have allowed him to keep playing for the Crimson Tide on Monday, according to AL.com’s Nick Kelly. So his season is now over.
“Common sense won a round today,” NCAA president Charlie Baker said in a statement. “The court saw this for what it is: an attempt by professionals to pivot back to college and crowd out the next generation of students. College sports are for students, not for people who already walked away to go pro and now want to hit the ‘undo’ button at the expense of a teenager’s dream. While we’re glad the court upheld the rules our members actually want, one win doesn’t fix the national mess of state laws. It’s time for Congress to stop watching from the sidelines and help us provide some actual stability.”
Earlier this year, Bediako filed a lawsuit against the NCAA in order to return to Alabama, where he last played during the 2022-23 campaign. Bediako entered the NBA Draft in 2023, but he was not selected. The 7-footer played spent the last few seasons in the G League, and he even appeared in six games for the Motor City Cruise this season.
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Bediako was granted a temporary restraining order in January that allowed him to take the court again with the Crimson Tide after the NCAA initially denied the school’s request to reinstate his eligibility. He made his official return a few days later and finished with 13 points and three rebounds in a loss to Tennessee. Bediako has played in five total games for Alabama, most recently on Saturday in their win over Auburn. Alabama finished 3-2 in those games.
But Monday’s ruling, which came after a hearing on Friday, overruled the temporary restraining order Bediako was granted. The judge who originally granted the temporary restraining order, James H. Roberts, was removed from the case after revelations that he was an active donor to Alabama athletics. So Alabama will now have to play the rest of the season without Bediako.
Bediako wasn’t the first professional player trying to make his way back into the college basketball ranks. Baylor signed former NBA Draft pick James Nnaji in December, which drew pretty strong condemnation from coaches and others. Nnaji was the first former draft pick to be cleared to play at the college level, though he never actually played in an NBA game and was instead with FC Barcelona since 2020. A pair of other G League players, Thierry Darlan and London Johnson, are set to play at Santa Clara and Louisville, respectively, next season.
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While Alabama is an SEC school, the league’s commissioner argued against granting Bediako eligibility in an affidavit filed last week. Upholding NCAA rules inconsistently, commissioner Greg Sankey said, “fuels disruption in college sports.”
“I respectfully ask the Court to uphold the NCAA eligibility rules challenged in this case, which are essential to the integrity of college sports, to the educational mission they serve, and to the opportunities they provide for current and future student-athletes,” Sankey wrote in the four-page affidavit.
Bediako, Alabama coach Nate Oats said last week, will remain on scholarship even if he can’t continue playing.
“Charles has done nothing wrong,” Oats said in January, via The Athletic. “I will stand by our guys every single time, no matter what the outside says when they’ve done nothing wrong, and Charles has done everything right.”
Alabama holds a 16-7 record entering Wednesday’s contest at Ole Miss. The Crimson Tide are in fifth in the SEC standings with eight games left in the regular season. Their NCAA tournament status will be evaluated by the roster that is available on selection Sunday.
“We are disappointed in today’s court ruling denying the injuction for Charles Bediako,” Alabama said in a statement. “While we understand the concern around competitive and developmental implications of former professional athletes participating in college, it is important to acknowledge reality.
“The NCAA has granted eligibility to over 100 current men’s basketball players with prior professional experience in the G League or overseas. Granting eligibility to some former professionals and not to others is what creates the havoc we are currently in and why consistency from decision-makers is so desperately needed.”
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