Alabama Circuit Judge Daniel Pruet ruled in favor of the NCAA and against 23-year-old Alabama center Charles Bediako on Monday in an eligibility case that has sparked widespread conversation and criticism in college athletics in recent weeks.
The decision would be extremely important for the stability of college basketball, perhaps even college sports. In overturning the temporary restraining order (TRO) that Bediako had played under for the past five games, Pruet agreed with the NCAA’s arguments that Bediako violated long-standing eligibility rules regarding college players, the NBA draft and the deadline wall that separates the college hoops from the N.B.A. That TRO was initially only granted after another Tuscaloosa judge, who shortly thereafter turned out to be an active donor to the Alabama athletic department, subsequently withdraw from the case after his situation was made public.
The case went to trial because the NCAA clearinghouse initially denied Bediako’s request for eligibility in January, and reasonably did so. The NCAA’s legal counsel argued last week that Bediako broke a long-standing precedent by previously playing in college (2021-2023) and then leaving for the NBA because he knew full well what the rules were if he stayed in the NBA Draft process.
There is a thorough process of gathering and vetting information, and the message is crystal clear: If you enter college and remain in the draft process past the late spring deadline, you are forfeiting NCAA eligibility. The issue was so threatening to basic eligibility rules, SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey even went so far as to write an affidavit unlike one of its affiliated schools – a letter that certainly influenced the outcome.
Charles Bediako denied an injunction against NCAA eligibility rules as Alabama’s return ends after five games
Carter Bahn
In light of the decision, questions still remain. Here’s a quick primer on where things stand and where Alabama (and Bediako) go from here.
What happens now to Alabama?
The Tide will move on and try to win without Bediako, who, to be sure, is/was good enough to be a real force in the SEC: he averaged 10.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in his recent five-game return. But he’s played his last game in college and he’s returning to the G League, where he last played a few weeks ago for the Motor City Cruise.
Now that Bediako’s fate is known, he and Alabama (which technically wasn’t part of the lawsuit) have no further recourse. Alabama and Bediako lost their initial waiver request against the NCAA in January. We’re two-thirds of the way through the season and Bediako only had this remaining semester on his eligibility clock anyway. There will be no appeal or anything else at a legal level. This part of the story is done.
Will the NCAA count games with Bediako on the roster?
Except for a bang on the road, yes.
In terms of, will these three games be officially vacated at a later date? It seems unlikely.
The order explicitly prevented the NCAA from punishing Alabama since the TRO was in effect. The first ruling said the NCAA was “further restrained from threatening, imposing, attempting to impose, suggesting or implying any punishment or sanction against Mr. Bediako or the University of Alabama or its coaches or other student-athletes as a result of Mr. Bediako’s participation in Division I athletics.”
Does that sentence above no longer stand up to scrutiny since the TRO was retroactively wiped out? I wouldn’t expect the NCAA to pursue anything too heavily, but what remains unknown is how members of the NCAA Tournament selection committee will or will not choose to evaluate and/or grade Alabama for its Bediako Gambit. This case has upset many people in college athletics. While it’s unlikely the NCAA will officially sanction Alabama after that, the selection committee could have some interesting conversations behind closed doors next month when it comes time to seed the teams.
Alabama, Charles Bediako Have the Last Laugh in Comeback Win vs. Auburn thanks to Crimson Tide’s ‘G League dropout’
Isaac Trotter
Why is this different than Baylor making Nnaji eligible after he was drafted?
An obvious question, but there are three differences between Bediako’s case and James Nnaji’s.
1. Nnaji was cleared to play by the NCAA.
2. He was acquitted because he never played college basketball before enrolling at Baylor in December 2025
3. Because he never played college basketball AND because he never signed an NBA contract, he was eligible on a technicality
That technicality still leaves many people dissatisfied with who is and is not eligible to play college basketball.
Bediako’s challenge to the NCAA’s rule posed a profound problem. If players could come and go from the NBA and G League ranks at virtually any time on the calendar, the stability of the roster would be under constant threat and outgoing high school players would also see their chances tangibly affected.
What is the outlook for Alabama in March?
Among this season’s top 25 schools, the Tide ranks among the top most inconsistent teams around. At 16-7, Alabama is coming off nice wins over St. John’s on the road, Illinois in Chicago, a drubbing of Kentucky in Tuscaloosa and a loss to Auburn on the road last Saturday. There have also been defeats at home to Texas and big losses to Florida and Arizona.
The problem for Bama now? Bediako provided relief for a thinning Tuscaloosa frontcourt. Seven-footer Noah Williamson is injured and 6-10 backup big Keitenn Bristow has missed 12 games this season. Taylor Bol Bowen, a 6-11 junior, also got beat up this year. And last weekend, during Alabama’s win over Auburn, 6-11 starter Aiden Sherrell suffered a knee injury
The lack of presence and familiarity in the frontcourt is the biggest factor holding Alabama back from becoming a top-10 team this season. Projected NBA Draft lottery pick Labaron Philon and second-year combo guard Aden Holloway are the fastest guard duo in college basketball, but Alabama’s injuries have been a problem all season.
What does Alabama coach Nate Oats have to say?
As covered by Mike Rodak of 247SportsOats said Monday evening that he was “obviously super disappointed” in his radio program.
“I didn’t think it should have ever gone to trial,” Oats said. “I thought the NCAA should have made him eligible based on the 100-plus current college basketball players — former pros, most of them in Europe. Some in the G League. Boys are called up. Rights are owned by NBA teamsas in James Nnaji being eligible to play.
“I thought it was a no-brainer with the NCAA. At the time, I didn’t think it would be a big deal. The NCAA hasn’t really changed much without the courts forcing them to. I thought the courts would see the inconsistencies in the rulings and agree with Charles’ lawyers. To me, the NCAA’s point as to why Charles should be ineligible was all these rules they have, but they don’t apply those rules to all these other players they created. To me, the whole case was very disappointing. Disappointing for Charles.
“…Disappointed in the ruling. Disappointed in the system – both the NCAA, the courts, the whole thing, just with all the inconsistencies with who is eligible and who is not. It seems like the European international players are getting preferential treatment over the Americans. It happened even more today. Hopefully at some point someone will win a ruling like this. There wasn’t one today. At some point someone will win one and change the system. Because that’s how it went. to be changed at the NCAA. Normally they don’t bring themselves changes.’
Oats ignored the crux of the matter, which was that Bediako was the only former college player who played, left and tried to sue to return. He has a point that there are former foreign pros who have been granted eligibility by the NCAA – by the truckload – in recent years. That’s another huge problem, and one that will soon need serious rebuilding and stricter statutes.
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