Judge James H. Roberts Jr. in Tuscaloosa County Circuit Court granted Bediako a temporary restraining order on Wednesday, a day after he sued the NCAA in an effort to return to the Crimson Tide basketball team for the remainder of the season. The judge’s order will be in effect for ten days, and a hearing on Bediako’s request for a preliminary injunction was scheduled for January 27.
In a motion filed Tuesday in Tuscaloosa County, Ala., court, Bediako requested a temporary restraining order and/or preliminary injunction that would make him immediately eligible for the NCAA. Bediako, a 7-foot center from Brampton, Ontario, previously played two seasons for Alabama from 2021 to 2023, averaging 6.6 points and 5.2 rebounds in 70 total games. Bediako, 23, declared for the 2023 NBA Draft with two seasons of eligibility remaining but went undrafted. He later signed a two-way contract with the San Antonio Spurs and played for multiple G League teams, most recently in December 2025. He has not appeared in an NBA game.
If Bediako suits up for Alabama, he could become the first modern example of a former college basketball player returning to the sport after becoming ineligible to declare for the NBA Draft. (Larry Bird famously returned to Indiana State for his senior season after being selected by the Boston Celtics in the 1978 draft.)
And it would be the latest twist in the unclear state of who is eligible to play college sports. Bediako’s lawsuit follows a wave of former G League players and international pros joining college basketball this season, including James Nnaji, a 2023 draft pick who played in the NBA Summer League and recently received four seasons of collegiate eligibility at Baylor.
The NCAA has made signing an NBA contract, including a two-way deal, a red line in terms of who is eligible. The complaint alleges that Bediako only filed the lawsuit after the NCAA denied the University of Alabama’s request to reinstate his eligibility. Alabama athletics did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Crimson Tide plays Tennessee next Saturday.
Before the judge issued the temporary restraining order Tuesday, the NCAA reiterated its position that he should be ineligible.
“The NCAA is aware of media reports of a lawsuit filed against the NCAA by Charles Bediako,” the report said. “Mr. Bediako signed three NBA contracts after competing for two seasons in college. The NCAA has not granted eligibility to prospective or returning student-athletes who have signed an NBA contract. The eligibility rules ensure that high school seniors have an opportunity to earn college scholarships, and we will continue to consistently enforce and defend these rules.”
The @NCAA has not and will not grant eligibility to prospective or returning student-athletes who have signed a signed agreement @NBA contract (including a two-way contract). As schools increasingly recruit people with experience in international competition, the NCAA…
— Charlie Baker (@CharlieBakerMA) December 30, 2025
Bediako’s motion argued that he would “suffer irreparable harm” if he is not immediately reinstated by the NCAA because of the competitive, financial and educational opportunities he would miss. The complaint stated that Bediako is enrolled at the University of Alabama for this semester, and under current eligibility rules, this is the last semester in which he could be eligible to compete because his five-year eligibility period began in 2021.
“When he chose to enter his name in the 2023 NBA Draft, Mr. Bediako could not have imagined the monumental change in the landscape of college athletics that has occurred since then,” the complaint said. “If Mr. Bediako had known that he could have earned compensation directly from his university while remaining a student-athlete, he would never have left school to pursue financial gain elsewhere.”
The eligibility of Nnaji, who has played in six games since January 3, caused a stir in college sports as he was previously drafted. But Nnaji, like the other international and G League eligible players, never played in the NBA or signed an NBA contract, including a two-way deal.
Bediako representatives argued against this eligibility distinction in the complaint, stating that “the NCAA has arbitrarily determined that it is acceptable” for an athlete to compete professionally and then attend college but not return to college.
“There is no principled justification for treating these groups of student-athletes differently,” the complaint states.
The judge’s order Wednesday also barred the NCAA from imposing sanctions on Bediako or Alabama if he plays for the team.
Bediako’s case is the latest and newest wrinkle in an issue that has led many prominent names in the sport, especially coaches, to speak out about the confusion and uncertainty of these eligibility disputes. Arkansas coach John Calipari recently wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post endorsing collective bargaining as a way to address persistent problems in college sports.
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