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Myron Medcalf
Just hours ahead of his second appearance in college basketball after a period spent as a two-way player in the NBA and G League, Charles Bediako expressed confidence that Alabama can clinch a national title with him on the team.
The 7-foot center had two seasons with the Crimson Tide in 2021-22 and 2022-23 but was not chosen in the 2023 NBA draft.
“[Coach Nate Oats] has a plan,” Bediako stated to Yea-Alabama.com, a platform for the school’s NIL collective. “I’m eager to help my teammates win and share my insights. We’ve got a fantastic group. I genuinely believe we can achieve it all. I’m just as excited as they are.”
After contributing four points and three rebounds in the Motor City Cruise’s win against the Birmingham Squadron the previous Saturday in the G League, Bediako received clearance from a Tuscaloosa judge this week to resume playing college basketball, despite having played multiple seasons in the G League and signing a two-way contract with the San Antonio Spurs after the 2023 NBA draft. Other players with professional backgrounds, such as 2023 draft pick James Nnaji, have also recently been granted NCAA eligibility.
Yet, Bediako stands out as the first player with college experience to sign an NBA contract and then be allowed to return to college basketball. The preliminary injunction hearing for Bediako, scheduled for Tuesday, might reshape the landscape of both college basketball and the NBA draft, potentially paving the way for more players with NBA experience to seek further college careers.
Bediako mentioned that it has been nothing but “positive vibes” since his return to the team this week, although he is still getting acquainted with his teammates.
“I met half of them today,” he remarked. “The only guy I had met before coming back was [Labaron Philon]. It’s been a great experience. I’m starting to learn how to mesh with him. He simplifies the game tremendously. It’s become clear to me why he’s considered a top prospect in the upcoming draft.”
For Saturday’s match, the Crimson Tide will likely miss two of their leading scorers, Aden Holloway and Amari Allen, who are reported to be doubtful to play, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel. Holloway ranks as Alabama’s second-highest scorer at 17.7 points per game, with Allen following at 11.7.
The NCAA has stated its intention to contest Bediako’s bid for full eligibility — he may only be available for the remainder of the season, based on the outcome of Tuesday’s hearing — and reiterated its stance that a player who has signed an NBA contract is ineligible to play college basketball, a position a Circuit Court judge in Alabama countered when Bediako was granted a temporary restraining order.
In a statement issued on Friday, Dan Gavitt, the NCAA’s senior vice president of basketball, noted that Bediako’s case could disturb the established NBA draft framework, as early withdrawal deadlines would be rendered ineffective leading to uncertainty within both the NBA and college basketball.
“If the rules governing NCAA pre- and post-draft eligibility can’t be enforced, it creates an unpredictable atmosphere for student-athletes, schools building their rosters for the upcoming season, and the NBA,” Gavitt explained. “The NCAA has established rules regarding pre- and post-NBA draft eligibility that have historically been agreed upon by all parties, up until these recent judicial changes.”
Alabama’s athletic director Greg Byrne responded with his own statement, arguing that G League players and European players who’ve been allowed to participate in college basketball this year are fundamentally not different from Bediako, who posted averages of 6.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game over his two years at Alabama.
“Numerous programs across the nation are featuring former G League and EuroLeague players who have been deemed eligible,” Byrne tweeted on Friday. “finally, these are individuals with professional basketball backgrounds now competing in college. The differences between Charles’ case and those circumstances are negligible. A professional contract should denote the same status, regardless. Why is a student-athlete who earned millions playing professionally overseas eligible to return to college, while another player making $50,000 annually in the NBA G League is not? in the same way, a player who goes professional directly out of high school can later return to college, while one who declared for the draft during college — perhaps based on misguided advice — may be denied. These inconsistencies are baffling, undermine faith in the system, and do not significantly enhance the educational mission of college sports.”
Bediako’s agent, Daniel Green of GSE Worldwide, mentioned that Bediako — who had a standout season in the G League last year — explored options with various schools before opting to return to Alabama, pursuing a legal course after the NCAA turned down the school’s initial appeal for his eligibility.
Green also stated that Bediako became encouraged to reconsider returning when Nnaji — who participated in two NBA summer leagues and played abroad after being the 31st pick in the 2023 NBA draft — was cleared in late December to play at Baylor.
Green remarked that the NCAA’s differentiation between players with overseas professional experience and those with domestic experience is unjust.
“We have a strong case here as the facts conflict,” Green explained to ESPN. “It feels contradictory to say someone who played in a different professional league cannot play collegiate basketball, especially when another player has been granted four years of eligibility. This is unfair and contradictory. Hence, we opted for a legal approach to see if we could file a lawsuit that might allow us to win this ruling.”
Bediako, who was crucial to Alabama’s strong defensive performance in the 2022-23 season, expressed excitement about the reception he anticipates on Saturday night, as he plays at Coleman Coliseum for the first time in three years.
“Leading up to [tonight’s] game, I’ve thought about that initial step onto the court,” he said. “Everyone will be welcoming. I’m just eager to get out there and play. In the end, it’s just basketball. I’ll continue to do what I love.”
