Judge blocks former NBA Draft prospect from playing for Alabama in potential precedent-setting ruling

A imaginable groundbreaking determination was made successful Tuscaloosa, Alabama, connected Monday that could alteration NCAA eligibility forever.

A justice denied Charles Bediako’s question for a preliminary injunction that would let him to proceed playing hoops for the Alabama Crimson Tide aft helium returned contempt declaring for the 2023 NBA Draft.

So, aft conscionable 5 games, Bediako’s play is over, per AL.com’s Nick Kelly.

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Charles Bediako of the Alabama Crimson Tide waits to participate his archetypal collegiate crippled successful 2 years during the archetypal fractional against the Tennessee Volunteers astatine Coleman Coliseum connected Jan. 24, 2026 successful Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Brandon Sumrall/Getty Images)

"Common consciousness won a circular today," NCAA president Charlie Baker said successful a statement, per Yahoo Sports. "The tribunal saw this for what it is: an effort by professionals to pivot backmost to assemblage and assemblage retired the adjacent procreation of students. College sports are for students, not for radical who already walked distant to spell pro and present privation to deed the ‘undo’ fastener astatine the disbursal of a teenager’s dream.

"While we’re gladsome the tribunal upheld the rules our members really want, 1 triumph doesn’t hole the nationalist messiness of authorities laws. It’s clip for Congress to halt watching from the sidelines and assistance america supply immoderate existent stability."

Bediako filed a suit against the NCAA successful bid to instrumentality to his Crimson Tide squad, wherever helium past played during the 2022-23 season. The 7-foot halfway declared for the NBA Draft aft that year, but helium went unselected successful the 2 rounds.

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Bediako yet spent clip successful the G League implicit the past 3 seasons, which includes six games for the Motor City Cruise this season.

However, helium was granted a impermanent restraining bid successful January, allowing him to instrumentality to Alabama to play for his aged squad contempt the NCAA initially denying the Crimson Tide’s petition to person him connected the roster.

Bediako isn’t the archetypal subordinate who has tried to caput backmost to assemblage aft going pro hasn’t gone swimmingly.

James Nnaji, who was really taken successful the aforesaid draught arsenic Bediako, shocked everyone erstwhile helium committed to Baylor. While helium hadn’t played successful an NBA game, Nnaji was the archetypal erstwhile draftee to beryllium cleared to play successful college.

Charles Bediako of the Alabama Crimson Tide reacts during the 2nd fractional successful the Sweet 16 circular of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament astatine KFC YUM! Center against the San Diego State Aztecs connected March 24, 2023 successful Louisville, Kentucky. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

It started a question of akin commitments, which see G League players Thierry Darlan and London Johnson heading to Santa Clara and Louisville, though it is for adjacent season.

Alabama caput manager Nate Oats told The Athletic that Bediako volition stay connected assistance adjacent if helium can’t play.

"Charles has done thing wrong. I volition basal by our guys each azygous time, nary substance what the extracurricular says erstwhile they’ve done thing wrong, and Charles has done everything right," Oats told the outlet.

Meanwhile, Arkansas caput manager John Calipari unloaded connected the existent authorities of assemblage hoops for allowing players to caput backmost into college.

"Does anybody attraction what this is doing for 17- and 18-year-old American kids?" Calipari questioned successful his astir seven-minute monologue successful December 2025. "Do you cognize what this accidental has done for them and their families? There aren’t gonna beryllium immoderate precocious schoolhouse kids. Who, different than dumb radical similar me, are gonna enlistee precocious schoolhouse kids? I get truthful overmuch restitution retired of coaching young kids and seeing them turn and marque it, and their family’s beingness changes, that I’m gonna support doing it. But wherefore would anybody else, if you tin get NBA players, G-League players, guys that are 28 years old, guys from Europe — bash we truly cognize their transcript? Do we person idiosyncratic implicit there? Do we truly cognize their commencement certificate? Or don’t we?

"If you enactment your sanction successful the draft, I don’t attraction if you’re from Russia and you enactment successful the draft, you can’t play assemblage basketball. ‘Well, that’s lone for American kids.’ What? If your sanction is successful that draft, and you got drafted, you can’t play assemblage due to the fact that that’s our rule. ‘Yeah, but that’s lone for American kids.’ OK. OK."

But Alabama feels that it has been done incorrect by the NCAA considering players person been allowed successful different programs to play this play contempt going pro, Nnaji being an example.

"I respectfully inquire the Court to uphold the NCAA eligibility rules challenged successful this case, which are indispensable to the integrity of assemblage sports, to the acquisition ngo they serve, and to the opportunities they supply for existent and aboriginal student-athletes," SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said successful a four-page affidavit filed past week.

Charles Bediako of the Alabama Crimson Tide makes his instrumentality to the assemblage tribunal during the archetypal fractional against the Tennessee Volunteers astatine Coleman Coliseum connected Jan. 24, 2026 successful Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Brandon Sumrall/Getty Images)

The assemblage added a connection pursuing the court’s ruling, per Yahoo Sports.

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"While we recognize the interest astir competitory and developmental implications of erstwhile nonrecreational athletes participating successful college, it is important to admit reality," the connection read.

"The NCAA has granted eligibility to implicit 100 existent men’s hoops players with anterior nonrecreational acquisition successful the G League oregon overseas. Granting eligibility to immoderate erstwhile professionals and not to others is what creates the havoc we are presently successful and wherefore consistency from decisions-makers is truthful desperately needed."

The Crimson Tide went 3-2 with Bediako backmost connected their bench.

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