Charles Bediako scored 13 points and grabbed three rebounds in 25 minutes for No. 17 Alabama, though his contribution wasn’t enough to stave off an upset bid from unranked Tennessee. The Volunteers got big games from Nate Ament (29 points) and Ja’Kobi Gillespie (24) en route to upsetting Alabama 79-73 just days after Bediako’s eligibility sparked a new wave of outrage among college hoops stakeholders.
Bediako last saw action for Alabama on March 24, 2023, a 71-64 loss to San Diego State when he scored 10 points and grabbed seven rebounds. He earned SEC All-Tournament Team and All-Defensive honors for the Tide that season and then turned pro.
The 23-year-old Canadian went undrafted in the 2023 NBA Draft but spent three seasons in the G League on a two-way contract with the San Antonio Spurs. He was never called up to the Spurs and therefore never played any minutes in an NBA game.
After petitioning the NCAA to use his final year of college eligibility and losing, he sued the NCAA again on Tuesday, January 20. The next day, Judge James H. Roberts Jr. granted in Tuscaloosa County Circuit Court granted Bediako a temporary restraining order, making him eligible for Saturday.
This is evident from a report by Front Office Sports. Roberts is a six-figure donor to the Alabama athletic department, and his wife represents former Tide player Darius Miles in a murder case.
Bediako’s restraining order came just weeks after NCAA President Charlie Baker issued a strong statement on college basketball eligibility, saying the NCAA “has not and will not grant eligibility to prospective or returning athletes who have signed an NBA contract (including a two-way contract).”
On Saturday, Bediako entered the game with 16:11 to play in the first half to loud cheers and scored 26 seconds later on a thunderous dunk on an inbounds play.
Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said after the game that the UT staff was familiar with Bediako from when he previously played at Alabama, and that they were aware that he “can get lobs, rebounds and shots,” but added, “we haven’t done anything different in terms of our scouting report. Nothing has changed for us.”
Bediako’s reception was significantly different than that of Baylor’s James Nnaji, another former G Leaguer who made his college debut at TCU on Jan. 3. The Horned Frogs crowd loudly booed Nnaji as he checked in for the game.
CHARLES BEDIAKO THROWS IT DOWN đŸ˜¤ @AlabamaMBB pic.twitter.com/zhvFlRrSHr
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) January 25, 2026
A handful of former G League players are playing in college this year due to a variety of lawsuits, much to the chagrin of several coaches, both current and retired. The fact that Bediako is eligible for at least a week could cause chaos at the university.
Bediako may also be the first former G Leaguer who could have a major impact on college football.
At Baylor, Nnaji plays just 12 minutes per game, averaging 3.7 rebounds and 1.7 points. Coming off the bench for Santa Clara, a team chasing an NCAA at-large bid, Thierry Darlan scored 6.5 points and grabbed 4.1 rebounds in 19.7 minutes per game. BYU’s Abdullah Ahmed is grabbing 4.8 rebounds in 14.4 minutes per game. London Johnson at Louisville has not played this season.
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