Charles Bediako to play for Alabama vs. Tennessee on Saturday: Nate Oats says 'system's clearly broken'

Alabama center Charles Bediako will play against Tennessee on Saturday, coach Nate Oats announced Friday ahead of the SEC clash. Bediako sued the NCAA in a Tuscaloosa, Alabama, court earlier this week, seeking a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction that would allow him to play for the Crimson Tide while awaiting a permanent ruling from the court.

Bediako was given the green light to return to college basketball the day after filing the temporary restraining order.

"On the Tennessee game, listen, I know Charles will draw a lot of attention for this game, but we are going to play him," Oats said.  "He's eligible to play. We're going to follow the court orders."

Oats defended the decision to play Bediako despite him declaring for the NBA Draft in 2023 and playing professionally in the G League the last three seasons. Oats said the "system's clearly broken" and that he is trying to find a way to "fix it."

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"I am all for figuring out a way to fix it," Oats said. "But since the NCAA has already allowed professionals to play on virtually every team we've played this year, or will play has a former professional player on their roster, you tell me how I am supposed to tell Charles and the team that we're not going to support him when he's been deemed legally eligible to play. ... We've got a roster spot open so this is not taking any opportunities away from a high school recruit or anybody else. Charles should not be punished for choosing to go the academic route out of high school instead of the professional route like the international players did."

Bediako hasn't played college basketball since the 2022-23 season, where he played a key role in Alabama earning the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Alabama big man started all 37 games during his final college season and averaged 6.4 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 20.8 minutes per game. His final appearance for Alabama came in a Sweet 16 loss to San Diego State in the 2023 NCAA Tournament.

Bediako had two years of eligibility remaining but declared for the 2023 NBA Draft. He was not selected but signed a two-way contract with the San Antonio Spurs and briefly played for the Austin Spurs, San Antonio's G League affiliate. Since then, he suited up for two other G League teams -- the Grand Rapids Gold and, most recently, the Motor City Cruise. 

Since Bediako enrolled in Alabama in 2021, he is still within his five-year eligibility clock, but the NCAA announced Tuesday a stiff pushback to Bediako's eligibility claim. 

After talking with members of the National Association of Basketball Coaches on Friday, Dan Gavitt, the NCAA's NCAA's senior vice president of basketball, issued a statement Friday afternoon laying out the NCAA's established eligibility rules for players entering the NBA Draft.

"If these rules surrounding the NCAA pre- and post-draft 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," Gavitt said. 

His return has also drawn criticism from across the SEC, including from Florida coach Todd Golden.

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"Mr. Bediako signed three NBA contracts after competing in college for two seasons. The NCAA has not and will not grant eligibility to any prospective or returning student-athletes who have signed an NBA contract," the NCAA said. "Eligibility rules ensure high school students get a shot at earning scholarships, and we will continue to consistently apply and defend these rules."

Bediako re-enrolled at Alabama for the spring semester and will be eligible to play until Jan. 27, when he has his next court hearing for a preliminary injunction. Notably, Alabama only has one game until that date. The Crimson Tide are set to face Missouri on Jan. 27.

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