Alabama center Charles Bediako is the talk of college basketball after suing the NCAA and obtaining a temporary restraining order that allows him to play for the Crimson Tide. The controversy about the move stems from the fact that after going undrafted in the 2023 NBA Draft, Bediako signed a two-way contract with the San Antonio Spurs.
He has been a member of the Austin Spurs and Grand Rapids Gold and, most recently, played for the Motor City Cruise in the G League, but has never played in the NBA despite signing two Exhibit-10 contracts with the Denver Nuggets and Detroit Pistons.
Alabama Donor Judge Implicated in Charles Bediako Controversy
The Bediako controversy took another turn when it was revealed that Tuscaloosa County Circuit Judge Jim Roberts, who granted Bediako the temporary restraining order allowing him to play, is a major donor to Alabama. According to the Crimson Tide Foundation’s website, Roberts has a lifetime contribution of between $100,000 and $249,000.
A full hearing will be held on Tuesday to determine whether Bediako will be granted a preliminary injunction allowing him to play for Alabama this season beyond the initial 10 days. Bediako’s case is the latest case started by James Nnaji at Baylor, in which players with G-League experience returned to college basketball.
The move by Bediako to rejoin Alabama after his stint in the G League has sparked widespread debate about players taking opportunities away from high school prospects, with coaches across the country up in arms.
Nate Oats Plans To Play Bediako
Despite the controversy around Bediako, Alabama coach Nate Oats revealed during his weekly news conference that he planned to utilize him in the No. 17 Crimson Tide’s game against the Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday.
“We are planning to play him,” Oats said. “He’s eligible to play. We’re going to follow the court orders. My personal opinion on all of this is that we need a uniform, transparent system that doesn’t punish Americans, removes the hypocrisy, and gives equal treatment to both Americans and international players.
“While also allowing high school players the opportunities they need coming out of school. Someone should be able to come up with a system that checks all those boxes. But for now, we’re going to continue to support Charles.”
In 70 games played for the Crimson Tide, Bediako averaged 6.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks in 19.3 minutes per game. He was named to the All-SEC Freshman Team and the SEC All-Defensive Team during his college basketball career in Tuscaloosa.
