TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) 鈥� Charles Bediako will play against Tennessee on Saturday, Alabama coach Nate Oats said Friday, even while calling the NCAA system that allowed professional players to return to college 鈥渂roken.鈥�
鈥淲e are planning to play him,鈥� Oats said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 eligible to play. We鈥檙e going to follow the court orders.鈥�
The 23-year-old Bediako practiced with the 17th-ranked Crimson Tide and blocked the NCAA from retaliating for his return.
Bediako entered the NBA draft in 2023 but was not selected. The 7-footer has signed several NBA developmental contracts since, including playing for the Motor City Cruise in the NBA’s G League as recently as last week.
Dan Gavitt, the NCAA鈥檚 senior vice president of basketball, issued a statement Friday reiterating the sanctioning body’s rule that says anyone who remains in the NBA draft past a certain date 鈥� as Bediako did 鈥� forfeits his remaining college eligibility.
鈥�(If those rules) cannot be enforced, it would create an unstable environment for the student-athletes, schools building a roster for the following season and the NBA,鈥� he added.
Bediako spent two seasons (2021-23) at Alabama, averaging 6.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocks, and helped the Crimson Tide make the NCAA Tournament twice. He sued the NCAA earlier this week in hopes of having his college eligibility reinstated. The NCAA denied Alabama’s initial petition.
But James H. Roberts Jr. of the Tuscaloosa Circuit Court granted Bediako a temporary restraining order Thursday and said he is 鈥渋mmediately eligible鈥� to participate in all team activities. Roberts also ruled the NCAA is 鈥渞estrained from threatening, imposing, attempting to impose, suggesting or implying any penalties or sanctions鈥� against Bediako, the Crimson Tide or its coaches and players.
The temporary order is valid for 10 days. A full hearing on Bediako鈥檚 request for a preliminary injunction is scheduled for Tuesday.
鈥淔irst of all, the system鈥檚 clearly broken,鈥� Oats said. 鈥淚鈥檓 all for figuring out a way to fix it. But since the NCAA has already allowed professionals to play 鈥� you tell me how I鈥檓 supposed to tell Charles and the team that we鈥檙e gonna not support them when he鈥檚 been deemed legally eligible to play.鈥�
Oats pointed to Baylor鈥檚 James Nnaji as the catalyst for the decision to bring Bediako back. Nnaji also was part of the 2023 NBA draft and selected 31st overall by Detroit. He never signed an NBA contract and has spent the last few seasons playing for FC Barcelona of the EuroLeague. He was granted eligibility in December to play for Baylor.
鈥淚 know they鈥檙e trying to make a differentiation between Charles and some other cases,鈥� Oats said. 鈥淣ot sure how you tell a guy that鈥檚 played four years in the EuroLeague, which is a lot higher level than the G League, that he鈥檚 eligible to come and because Charles chose to go to an academic institution to start with, and other players chose to go the professional route, that Charles is going to get punished.
鈥淩eally what it does, it gives very preferential treatment to the international players and penalizes American players for choosing to go to an academic and we are in the NCAA, which is a conglomeration of academic institutions.鈥�
Fellow NCAA coaches questioned Alabama’s decision to welcome Bediako back and the judge’s decision to grant the TRO.
Florida coach Todd Golden called Roberts an Alabama booster during the school’s weekly radio show Thursday night and ended his response with 鈥淲e’ll beat ’em anyways.鈥� Alabama visits No. 16 Florida on Feb. 1.
鈥淚 do think it鈥檚 positive that there鈥檚 a lot of discussions about it right now,” Golden said Friday. “We do need some intervention/someone to say, 鈥楬ey, this is why it鈥檚 OK; this is why it鈥檚 not OK.鈥� Right now, we鈥檙e just kind of sitting in no-man鈥檚 land, and everybody has their opinions but feels like they can鈥檛 do anything because a judge ruled this 鈥� in Tuscaloosa, which is kind of crazy to me that he can impact what the NCAA does with their organization, what the SEC does with their conference. I think that鈥檚 dangerous.鈥�
Tennessee coach Rick Barnes was equally clear about where he stands heading into Saturday’s road game.
鈥淲hen you make the choice to give up your college eligibility, you鈥檝e given it up,鈥� Barnes said. 鈥淎nd I don鈥檛 care if it鈥檚 someone that has been in the service, come back. Once they start that clock and they make that choice, they鈥檝e made that choice.鈥�
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