With case in appeal, Bediako's ask to play denied

Alabama Crimson Tide center Charles Bediako’s college career is effectively over for the second time after the Alabama Supreme Court on Friday denied his request to play while he appeals his case.

Earlier this week, Bediako’s attorneys asked both the Tuscaloosa County Circuit Court and the Alabama Supreme Court for “interim injunctive relief” while he appeals a local judge’s ruling that denied his request for a preliminary injunction to play college basketball for the remainder of the season.

Bediako had played in both the G League and signed multiple NBA contracts before a different local judge gave him a temporary restraining order to return to college basketball in January.

In the request to allow Bediako to play the rest of the year, pending his appeal, Bediako’s lawyers argued that his case “is unlikely to resolve before the season concludes.” The appellate process through the Alabama Supreme Court system can take months to finish. If his lawyers pursue a decision from a federal court, it could take even longer.

In January, the unprecedented move by a judge to grant a temporary restraining order that allowed Bediako to suit up for Alabama drew criticism from various stakeholders, including the NCAA, which accused Bediako of attempting to “sidestep” rules on eligibility.

Bediako’s attorneys argued that even though the 2023 NBA draft entrant had signed a two-way deal with the San Antonio Spurs and multiple Exhibit 10 contracts — moves that disqualified him from competing in college again, according to NCAA rules — other G League players, European pros and James Nnaji, the 31st pick in the 2023 NBA draft, had similar cases and were granted full eligibility to play during the 2025-26 season. But those players hadn’t played college basketball, making Bediako’s situation unique.

This season, Bediako averaged 10.0 points for Alabama, which finished 3-2 in the five games he played. He was a standout with the team from 2021-2023. During the 2022-23 season, he was a defensive star for an Alabama squad that had the No. 3 defense in America.

His agent told ESPN last month that a return to the G League would be considered if he were to be denied the opportunity to play college basketball.

On Thursday, Bediako returned to the basketball court when he finished with eight points, seven rebounds and one block in Canada’s win over Puerto Rico in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Americas Qualifiers in Miami.