Tuscaloosa County Judge Makes Decision Regarding Charles Bediako's Eligibility

The former Alabama center has been granted a temporary 10-day restraining order against the NCAA, meaning he's eligible for Saturday's game against Tennessee.

Mar 10, 2023; Nashville, TN, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide center Charles Bediako (14) and teammates celebrate on the bench in the closing seconds of a win against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images | Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

Tuscaloosa County judge James Roberts granted former Alabama center Charles Bediako a temporary restraining order against the NCAA on Wednesday morning, per AL.com.

This makes the NBA G League player immediately eligible to play for the Crimson Tide, including Saturday's game against Tennessee.

On Tuesday, 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 on Tuesday evening, the NCAA released a statement regarding Bediako, saying that he "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."

However, this is a 10-day restraining order, as a hearing is scheduled for Jan. 27.

The University of Alabama released a statement on Wednesday at 11 a.m. CT.

"The University of Alabama supports Charles and his ongoing efforts to be reinstated for competition while he works to complete his degree.”

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.

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).

This story will be updated.