Charles Bediako appears to have found his way back to Alabama.
The former Crimson Tide center filed a lawsuit against the NCAA on Tuesday in an effort to gain immediate reinstatement to join the team for the rest of the 2025-26 season. The school had already filed an appeal for his eligibility, but it was denied.
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Bediako, 23, last played for Alabama during the 2022-23 season. The 7-footer entered the NBA Draft after that season, but was not selected. He’s since played in the G League, including 34 games for the Grand Rapids Gold last season and six for the Motor City Cruise this season. He averaged 10.4 points and 9.3 rebounds per game last year with the Gold.
Then on Wednesday, a judge granted a temporary restraining order to allow Bediako to return to Alabama and college basketball. Bediako is “immediately eligible,” judge James H. Roberts Jr. ruled, and the NCAA is “restrained from threatening, imposing, attempting to impose, suggesting or implying any penalties or sanctions” against Bediako, Alabama, its coaches or players, according to ESPN.
The order is valid for 10 days. A full hearing is scheduled for Tuesday morning.
“The University of Alabama supports Charles and his ongoing efforts to be reinstated for competition while he works to complete his degree,” Alabama said in a statement after the ruling.
In his initial lawsuit, Bediako cited multiple other G League players who have been granted eligibility by the NCAA. He also named Baylor center James Nnaji, who was granted eligibility to play for the Bears last month. Nnaji was the No. 31 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, and he played professionally in Europe before returning to the United States.
“The NCAA’s recent reinstatement of James Nnaji, along with other European professional players, has shown that its current application of eligibility rules favor players who have competed internationally over athletes who have pursued domestic opportunities,” the complaint states, via ESPN. “Despite being selected 31st overall in the NBA Draft, Nnaji was recently reinstated and will have four seasons of NCAA eligibility. This, despite Nnaji playing professionally for at least three seasons in Europe, including two for powerhouse FC Barcelona. The NCAA’s rules also create an entirely arbitrary distinction between student athletes who go directly from high school to professional competition and those who initially enroll in college, later leave for the draft, and then seek to return.”
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Bediako averaged 6.6 points and 5.2 rebounds per game in his two seasons at Alabama. He helped the team reach the NCAA tournament in each of his two seasons, too. He is currently enrolled at Alabama, and would have the rest of this season left in eligibility had he not left for the NBA Draft when he did, as he started his college career in 2021. In his lawsuit, Bediako called the NCAA’s rules “draconian” and said that he wouldn’t have left college when he did had he known about current revenue sharing and NIL opportunities that are now available.
While Bediako wouldn’t be the first professional player to be allowed back into the college ranks, his case is unique and would mark a massive change for the NCAA. Bediako signed a two-way contract with the San Antonio Spurs in 2023 after he went undrafted, and no two-way player has ever been granted eligibility to play college basketball. Should Bediako take the court again, he would be the first.
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NCAA president Charlie Baker said last month in the wake of the Nnaji backlash that they wouldn’t grant eligibility to any player who has signed an NBA contract of any kind, and the NCAA backed that up on Tuesday. The NCAA slammed the ruling again on Wednesday.
“These attempts to sidestep NCAA rules and recruit individuals who have finished their time in college or signed NBA contracts are taking away opportunities from high school students,” the NCAA said. “A judge ordering the NCAA let a former NBA player take the court Saturday against actual college student-athletes is exactly why Congress must step in and empower college sports to enforce our eligibility rules.”
No. 17 Alabama holds a 13-5 record this season. The Crimson Tide will host Tennessee next on Saturday, where Bediako will presumably make his return.
