TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (WBRC) - A Tuscaloosa County Court has denied Charles Bediako’s request to play basketball for the University of Alabama (UA) after he previously left the team for the NBA draft, and ultimately played multiple games for a G League team.
Bediako previously played basketball for UA from 2021-2023.
According to court documents, at the end of the 2023 season, Bediako left school to pursue his dream of playing in the NBA to support himself and his family.
Bediako was not selected for the 2023 NBA draft. Instead, he signed a two-year contract that allowed him to play in the NBA’s developmental G League in San Antonio.
Bediako sued the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in an attempt to regain college eligibility when he re-enrolled at UA.
In January, a judge granted a temporary restraining order against the NCAA which allowed Bediako to play for Alabama. The judge who granted the restraining order recused himself from the case in late January.
The original temporary restraining order ended up allowing Bediako to play five games.
Alabama Basketball Coach Nate Oats says he was confident the judge would “do the right thing” even after SEC commissioner Greg Sankey filed an affidavit urging the judge to rule against Bediako.
Sankey argued that ruling in Bediako’s favor would have struck down the NCAA bylaws that say you cannot return to college basketball after entering the NBA draft and ultimately forgoing college eligibility.
Bediako was seeking an injunction that would’ve allowed him to play the rest of the season with the Crimson Tide. Despite attempts by Bediako’s attorney’s to reschedule the injunction hearing, the hearing still occurred on Friday, Feb. 6.
Judge Daniel Pruet handed down his decision late Monday afternoon, Feb. 9, ultimately denying Bediako’s request.
Pruet says Bediako failed to meet the first three elements required in order for the court to issue the preliminary injunction.
NCAA President Charlie Baker shared the following statement regarding the court’s decision to deny Bediako’s injunction:
“Common sense won a round today. The court saw this for what it is: an attempt by professionals to pivot back to college and crowd out the next generation of students. College sports are for students, not for people who already walked away to go pro and now want to hit the ‘undo’ button at the expense of a teenager’s dream. While we’re glad the court upheld the rules our members actually want, one win doesn’t fix the national mess of state laws. It’s time for Congress to stop watching from the sidelines and help us provide some actual stability.”
Alabama plays Ole Miss on Wednesday, Feb. 11. Oats is expected to meet with the media on Tuesday afternoon, Feb. 10. Until then, WBRC has reached out to the university for a statement. This story will be updated if or when that statement is received.
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