NCAA Releases Statement Surrounding Charles Bediako Eligibility Lawsuit

Earlier on Tuesday evening, it was first reported by AL.com that former Alabama basketball center Charles Bediako is suing the NCAA with hopes of gaining eligibility to return to the college level.

But just a couple of hours later, the NCAA released a statement regarding Bediako, who played for the Crimson Tide during the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons.

"The NCAA is aware of media reports about a lawsuit filed against the NCAA by Charles Bediako," the NCAA said in the statement. "Mr. Bediako signed three NBA contracts after competing in college for two seasons. The NCAA has not and will not grant eligibility to any prospective or returning student-athletes who have signed an NBA contract. Eligibility rules ensure high school students get a shot at earning scholarships, and we will continue to consistently apply and defend these rules."

During his 70 games (67 starts) in Tuscaloosa, Bediako averaged 6.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 19.3 minutes per game. He was a member of the All-SEC Freshman Team during his first year and the conference's All-Defensive Team during his second year.

After not being selected in the 2023 NBA Draft, he went to the NBA G League. Bediako is currently a member of the Motor City Cruise, but spent 2023-24 with the Austin Spurs and 2024-25 with the Grand Rapids Gold.

Whether it's NIL, the House settlement, rivalries or rankings, debates will never end in college sports. But perhaps the newest hot topic is that NBA G League players and international professionals are taking a step back into college basketball.

“Had Mr. Bediako had more foresight to see the paradigm-shifting changes coming to compensation for NCAA athletes, he likely would still be on campus playing for the University of Alabama right now,” Darren Heitner, Bediako’s attorney, told AL.com earlier this evening. “When the NCAA recently began to reinstate players with G League experience, and even players who had entered and been selected in the NBA Draft, Mr. Bediako saw this as a chance to right a wrong decision that he had regretted over the past three years.”

Taking this route could help players profit off their name, image and likeness often more than their compensation in the G League. It could also expose them a bit more to the basketball world and even NBA scouts. While adding players with professional experience could help a college basketball team, it would also take away scholarships and playing time from high schoolers interested in the program.

Alabama head coach Nate Oats weighed in on the hot topic with ESPN's Peter Burns and Chris Doering during Jan. 5's SEC This Morning show on SiriusXM.

"If they're eligible and somebody else is going to get them, I wouldn't say that I'd be one of the guys that was necessarily for it to begin with," Oats said. "Because I think it's taking away opportunities from kids coming out of high school.

"I was a high school coach for 11 years. I wanted my kids to get opportunities when they left my program. This is taking opportunities away from those kids.

"But on a competitive level, if it's allowable, and they're going to be eligible to play and they're the better players that you can get, then you probably have to go after them."

There have been a few cases of this, including Baylor's recent acquisition of James Nnaji. The 21-year-old who previously played in Europe for four years was the No. 31 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, but never ended up playing in an NBA game (excluding the Summer League). Nnaji was booed throughout the Bears' road loss to TCU earlier in the season, as he finished with five points, four rebounds and four fouls in 17 minutes.

While some coaches have liked the idea, others couldn't be more against it. Longtime Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo ranted about Louisville signing ex-NBA G League player London Johnson to its 2026 recruiting class. Others against it have been a bit more lighthearted, including St. John's head coach Rick Pitino, who joked about adding Greece's own nine-time NBA All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo to his roster.

In terms of Alabama, it doesn't seem like Oats has any interest in taking part in the hot topic based on the aforementioned quote. His staff is on the same page as him, as Crimson Tide assistant coach Preston Murphy has joked about signing Lamar Odom, with whom he was teammates with at Rhode Island during the 1998-99 season. Murphy even created an AI video of him signing the Monstars from Space Jam to Alabama's roster.

pic.twitter.com/wjFYDlVQiK
— Preston Murphy (@coach_pmurph) December 27, 2025

NCAA Releases Statement Surrounding Charles Bediako Eligibility Lawsuit

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