Report: Charles Bediako Suing NCAA With Hopes of Returning to Alabama

Former Alabama basketball center Charles Bediako is suing the NCAA, as he eyes a return to the college level, per AL.com.

"NEWS: Charles Bediako is suing the NCAA, asking for immediate preliminary and permanent injunctive relief that would allow him to return to Alabama's basketball team according to documents obtained by AL.com," Matt Stahl of AL.com wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter) on Tuesday.

Bediako played for the Crimson Tide during the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons. 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.

AL.com also indicated that Bediako has already enrolled at UA for this spring semester, and the news site released the statement from Bediako's attorney.

“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,” the statement says. “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.

“Official regular season games for the University of Alabama’s 2025-2026 men’s basketball season have already begun and the team has already started conference play within the Southeastern Conference. Mr. Bediako will be irreparably harmed if he is not able to join the team immediately because of the lost development and opportunity to become integrated with his teammates and potentially participate in a postseason run.”

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.

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.

Report: Charles Bediako Suing NCAA With Hopes of Returning to Alabama

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