Auburn Player Named in Latest Charles Bediako Eligibility Filings

As a rival player makes his eligibility case, he is pointing to an Auburn Tigers forward as precedent to make his case

An Auburn overseas talent has come up in the Bediako hearings | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

The Charles Bediako controversy has already shaken the NCAA to its core, and his legal team is not done yet. Notably, Bediako’s temporary restraining order is set to run out on Feb. 6, just a day before the Crimson Tide is scheduled to take on the Auburn Tigers.

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In the latest filings by Bediako’s lawyers, the legal team is pushing for the NCAA to not only grant Bediako injunctive relief or, in simple terms, a year of eligibility, but also to admit that Bediako isn’t the first of his kind. Namely, the legal team is looking to force the NCAA to admit to allowing pro players into the sport, and they’ve managed to put together over 30 examples. 

Bediako’s attorneys sent the NCAA a list of admissions regarding the eligibility of international professional basketball players. pic.twitter.com/Uheimc2BXq

— Mike Rodak (@mikerodak) February 4, 2026

Thirty of the 33 instances that Bediako’s legal team is looking to get the NCAA to admit consist of overseas pros who are now playing in college basketball. Auburn fans can probably already see where this is going.

Naturally, on this list is Filip Jović, who’s a freshman forward at Auburn, originally from Bosnia. Under the “requests for admission” segment, Bediako’s legal team demanded as follows.

“Admit that you have granted eligibility to Filip Jovic, a current student-athlete at Auburn University and former member of Mega Basket, OKK Beograd, and OKK Spars Ilidza from Serbia.”

This latest wrinkle in the Bediako case has brought the fire to the NCAA, who’ve already been forced to allow Bediako to play in several games due to temporary restraining orders granted by Tuscaloosa Circuit Court Judge James Roberts, who is notably a donor to the University of Alabama. 

Roberts has since recused himself from this case and was replaced by Judge Daniel Pruet, who also presides over former Alabama player Darius Miles’ capital murder trial. 

Also in the motion is a request for the injunction hearing to be delayed until at least Feb. 16, far after the Tide’s matchup with the Tigers. If this postponement is accepted, Bediako will be allowed to play in not only the Auburn game but also the Tide’s matchups against Ole Miss and South Carolina.

It’s certainly getting interesting for basketball fans, who’ll have to wait and see what Judge Pruet decrees. For now, Bediako is ineligible to play in the Auburn game, but that could very well change in the coming days.

The Iron Bowl of basketball is scheduled to take place in Auburn on Feb. 7 at 3 p.m. CST. It’ll be broadcast on ESPN.