01/23/26 04:25:00
Printable Page
01/23 16:23 CST No. 17 Alabama plans to play 7-footer Charles Bediako, who
turned pro in 2023, against Tennessee
No. 17 Alabama plans to play 7-footer Charles Bediako, who turned pro in 2023,
against Tennessee
By KENNINGTON SMITH III
Associated Press
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) --- Charles Bediako will play against Tennessee on
Saturday, Alabama coach Nate Oats said Friday, even while calling the NCAA
system that allowed professional players to return to college "broken."
"We are planning to play him," Oats said. "He's eligible to play. We're going
to follow the court orders."
The 23-year-old Bediako practiced with the 17th-ranked Crimson Tide a day after
a judge in Tuscaloosa temporarily reinstated the player's college eligibility
and blocked the NCAA from retaliating for his return.
Bediako entered the NBA draft in 2023 but was not selected. The 7-footer has
signed several NBA developmental contracts since, including playing for the
Motor City Cruise in the NBA's G League as recently as last week.
Dan Gavitt, the NCAA's senior vice president of basketball, issued a statement
Friday reiterating the sanctioning body's rule that says anyone who remains in
the NBA draft past a certain date --- as Bediako did --- forfeits his remaining
college eligibility.
"(If those rules) cannot be enforced, it would create an unstable environment
for the student-athletes, schools building a roster for the following season
and the NBA," he added.
Bediako spent two seasons (2021-23) at Alabama, averaging 6.6 points, 5.2
rebounds and 1.7 blocks, and helped the Crimson Tide make the NCAA Tournament
twice. He sued the NCAA earlier this week in hopes of having his college
eligibility reinstated. The NCAA denied Alabama's initial petition.
But James H. Roberts Jr. of the Tuscaloosa Circuit Court granted Bediako a
temporary restraining order Thursday and said he is "immediately eligible" to
participate in all team activities. Roberts also ruled the NCAA is "restrained
from threatening, imposing, attempting to impose, suggesting or implying any
penalties or sanctions" against Bediako, the Crimson Tide or its coaches and
players.
The temporary order is valid for 10 days. A full hearing on Bediako's request
for a preliminary injunction is scheduled for Tuesday.
"First of all, the system's clearly broken," Oats said. "I'm all for figuring
out a way to fix it. But since the NCAA has already allowed professionals to
play ... you tell me how I'm supposed to tell Charles and the team that we're
gonna not support them when he's been deemed legally eligible to play."
Oats pointed to Baylor's James Nnaji as the catalyst for the decision to bring
Bediako back. Nnaji also was part of the 2023 NBA draft and selected 31st
overall by Detroit. He never signed an NBA contract and has spent the last few
seasons playing for FC Barcelona of the EuroLeague. He was granted eligibility
in December to play for Baylor.
"I know they're trying to make a differentiation between Charles and some other
cases," Oats said. "Not sure how you tell a guy that's played four years in the
EuroLeague, which is a lot higher level than the G League, that he's eligible
to come and because Charles chose to go to an academic institution to start
with, and other players chose to go the professional route, that Charles is
going to get punished.
"Really what it does, it gives very preferential treatment to the international
players and penalizes American players for choosing to go to an academic and we
are in the NCAA, which is a conglomeration of academic institutions."
Fellow NCAA coaches questioned Alabama's decision to welcome Bediako back and
the judge's decision to grant the TRO.
Florida coach Todd Golden called Roberts an Alabama booster during the school's
weekly radio show Thursday night and ended his response with "We'll beat 'em
anyways." Alabama visits No. 16 Florida on Feb. 1.
"I do think it's positive that there's a lot of discussions about it right
now," Golden said Friday. "We do need some intervention/someone to say, ?Hey,
this is why it's OK; this is why it's not OK.' Right now, we're just kind of
sitting in no-man's land, and everybody has their opinions but feels like they
can't do anything because a judge ruled this --- in Tuscaloosa, which is kind
of crazy to me that he can impact what the NCAA does with their organization,
what the SEC does with their conference. I think that's dangerous."
Tennessee coach Rick Barnes was equally clear about where he stands heading
into Saturday's road game.
"When you make the choice to give up your college eligibility, you've given it
up," Barnes said. "And I don't care if it's someone that has been in the
service, come back. Once they start that clock and they make that choice,
they've made that choice."
___
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up
here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball:
https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and
https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball
|
