TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Basketball center Charles Bediaco is asking the Alabama Supreme Court to allow him to play the rest of the season for the Crimson Tide.
On Monday, the budding NBA G League player appealed Tuscaloosa Circuit Court Judge Daniel Pruet’s recent ruling that terminated Bediaco’s interim player status at the University of Alabama. While Bediako appealed to the state Supreme Court, his attorneys asked Pruitt to grant temporary relief and allow him to return to the field.
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Bediaco spent two seasons (2021-23) at the University of Alabama, averaging 6.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game and helping the Crimson Tide reach the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive year. He was not selected in the 2023 NBA Draft, but he was still playing with the Motor City Crews of the G League in mid-January.
He returned to Alabama this season and filed a lawsuit against the NCAA after it denied Alabama’s request to allow him to return to the college game. His attorneys argued that Bediaco was still within five years of college eligibility. NCAA President Charlie Baker and SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey opposed Bediaco’s reinstatement.
A judge who later recused himself from the case issued a temporary restraining order allowing Bediako to compete while the case progressed. But Pruitt ruled against Bediako on Feb. 9, writing that the player “failed to demonstrate that he was entitled to the injunctive relief he sought.”
On Monday, Bediako’s attorneys asked a judge to issue a temporary order while the appeal is pending, requiring the NCAA to reinstate Bediaco’s status as a student-athlete and immediately eligible to compete in the NCAA. They noted that with the end of the season and the college championship approaching, it was unlikely that the Supreme Court would rule on the appeal before the end of the season.
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“Without temporary injunctive relief, the entire purpose of Plaintiff’s appeal – the ability to play basketball for the University of Alabama through the remainder of 2026 – will be ineffective,” attorney David W. Holt wrote.
Alabama’s regular season ends on March 7. The SEC men’s basketball championship will be held in mid-March, and the NCAA championship will be held from March 17 to April 6.
