The sudden transformation from college basketball to semi-pro was accelerated Wednesday when Charles Bediako, who last played in 2023, was given the green light to return to Alabama after going undrafted two seasons ago, signing a professional contract and appearing in multiple G-League games. Bediako could see action as early as Saturday when the No. 17 Crimson Tide takes on Tennessee.
Bediako filed suit against the NCAA on Tuesday, requesting “immediate preliminary and permanent preliminary injunction.“He was granted a temporary restraining order on Wednesday by Tuscaloosa County Judge James Roberts.
Bediako was the starting big man and interior enforcer for Alabama’s 31-win team that earned a No. 1 seed in the 2023 NCAA Tournament. Bediako declared for 2023 NBA draft — choosing to give up his remaining collegiate eligibility to pursue his N.B.A dreams – but remained unrealized. He never played in an NBA game, but did sign a two-way contract with the San Antonio Spurs and played in the G-League with the Grand Rapids Gold and the Motor City Cruise.
Since Bediako enrolled at Alabama in 2021, he is still within his five-year eligibility clock, but the NCAA announced a stiff pushback on Bediako’s eligibility claim on Tuesday.
“Mr. Bediako signed three NBA contracts after two seasons of college attendance. The NCAA has not and will not grant eligibility to prospective or returning student-athletes who have signed an NBA contract,” the NCAA said. “The eligibility rules ensure that high school students have an opportunity to earn college scholarships, and we will continue to consistently enforce and defend these rules.”
The legal system’s temporary restraining order has set that aside for the time being. Bediako has re-enrolled at Alabama for the spring semester and will be allowed to play until Jan. 27, when he has his next court hearing for a preliminary injunction.
Impact outside the court
It’s the latest story in an all-out attack on the NCAA’s eligibility claims. NCAA President Charlie Baker has maintained that the NCAA will not extend eligibility to anyone who has signed an NBA contract, including a two-way deal.
Former G-League players such as Thierry Darlan (Santa Clara), London Johnson (Louisville) and Abdullah Ahmed (BYU) were cleared by the NCAA because they were within five years of their high school eligibility and had not signed on the dotted line with an NBA franchise.
Bediako signing three NBA contracts is the biggest difference between his eligibility plea and James Nnaji’s precedent. Nnaji, the No. 31 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, was cleared to play for Baylor this season because he had never signed with a NBA team and operated as a draft-and-stash abroad.
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“The NCAA’s arbitrary and inconsistent enforcement of its eligibility standards causes him immediate and irreparable harm,” Bediako’s attorney Darren Heitner said in a statement. “These harms are particularly serious given the NCAA’s recent decisions allowing eligibility for athletes with much more extensive professional experience, revealing a pattern of selective and inequitable application of its own rules.”
If Bediako becomes eligible, it would open a Pandora’s box, including a runway for former college players who haven’t played an NBA game to return to college basketball. Former St. John’s star RJ Luis, the reigning Big East Player of the Year, is the No. 1 name that fits that description.
Can the NCAA even enforce its own eligibility rules? The Bediako precedent would call all of this into question.
Impact on the field
Defense and rebounding have been Alabama’s two biggest bugaboos this season. Nate Oats’ crew can’t win the national championship without a polished interior defense or more bite on the glass. That’s why Alabama was sniffing around a Bediako reunion in the first place. The 6-foot-1, 225-pound center is an exceptional offensive rebounder and shot blocker who can help you fix this right away.
Alabama’s Aiden Sherrell has started all 17 games, but Bediako immediately changes the venom in Alabama’s frontcourt. Tennessee’s game plan for Saturday just palpably changed.
To be a fly on Rick Barnes – or Charlie Bakers – wall.
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