What Charles Bediako's ruling means for Alabama and future NCAA eligibility cases

Which players are eligible to play college basketball became clearer Monday.

A Tuscaloosa Circuit Court judge denied Charles Bediako's motion for a preliminary injunction on the same day the temporary retraining order that first allowed the former two-way NBA player, who played three seasons in the G League but never in an official NBA game, to play for Alabama was set to expire.

Bediako, who spent two seasons with the Tide from 2021-2023 before going undrafted in the 2023 NBA draft, averaged 21.6 minutes in the five games he played for Alabama between Jan. 24 and Feb. 7. The team went 3-2 in that stretch.

So what does the ruling mean for Alabama and for future eligibility cases like Bediako's? ESPN men's college basketball reporters Jeff Borzello and Myron Medcalf answer your most pressing questions.

What could this mean for future cases of former NBA and G League players making their NCAA eligibility cases?

Borzello: The line in the sand has always been this: once a player keeps his name in the NBA draft, he knowingly gives up his NCAA eligibility and can no longer play college basketball. That line was directly challenged in this case, and for now, the NCAA has prevailed.

The details of Bediako's situation were different than those of Baylor's James Nnaji. They were different than those of former G League players Thierry Darlan (Santa Clara) and Abdullah Ahmed (BYU). And they were different from those of the former European professionals in today's university ranks. None of them had ever set foot on a college basketball court before.

There is now precedent for future cases brought to court that aim to challenge NCAA eligibility rules on former college players who entered the NBA draft and/or signed two-way contracts with the league. And it won't be long before we see him tested again, with former UCLA guard Amari Bailey, who left the Bruins in 2023 and played in 10 NBA games, exploring a return to college.

Medical calf: This decision creates different categories of players trying to join the NCAA. As Jeff mentioned, the G League players who were cleared to play college basketball this season had not played college basketball before. Neither does Nnaji. The judge's ruling, which could be challenged in a higher court, states that any player who plays in the NBA after playing college basketball He is not allowed to return to college basketball.

The judge sided with the NCAA in this decision, separating participation in the NBA after college as the final disqualifier. It's a major ruling in favor of the NCAA, and if it stands, any G League, two-way or NBA player who meets that criteria will be rejected.

What is the outlook for Alabama without Bediako?

Borzello: With Bediako in the fold, Alabama had close wins over Auburn and Texas A&M, a blowout victory over Missouri and a pair of losses to Tennessee and Florida. He started two of the five games, averaging 10.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in total.

Where his departure will be felt most is from a depth perspective, as head coach Nate Oats has been dealing with a litany of injuries all season. Now he has to turn to Noah Williamson as his main big man off the bench. The former Bucknell transfer has struggled all season, hasn't scored since Jan. 10 and hasn't played in either of the last two games. Starting center Aiden Sherrell, however, has a chance here: He's enjoyed a breakout campaign and just happened to be playing the best basketball of his college career just before Bediako joined the program.

Medical calf: The Tide has the same problems they had before Bediako arrived: They are not a great defensive team. During his first stint in Tuscaloosa, Bediako was a key player for one of the best defensive programs in the United States. Even though they averaged 1.4 blocks during their second chance, the Tide ranked 106th in adjusted defensive efficiency during that five-game stretch and allowed opponents to hit 54.1% of their shots inside the arc, one of the worst marks in the country, according to BartTorvik. And as Jeff said, their biggest concern without Bediako is simply the lack of players to put on the floor in a tough SEC.

Are Alabama's three wins under Bediako at risk of being vacated?

Borzello: Voiding wins has long been a form of punishment by the NCAA, forcing programs that played players who were later ruled ineligible due to NCAA violations to erase those wins and records from the annals. But in this case it seems unlikely.

The temporary restraining order that allowed Bediako to play also stated that the NCAA is “prohibited from threatening, imposing, attempting to impose, suggesting or implying any penalty or sanction” against Bediako or Alabama. And although the order is no longer viable, the NCAA would, in essence, be penalizing the Crimson Tide for what a judge ruled.

NCAA President Charlie Baker did not mention the idea of ​​vacating wins in his brief statement following Monday's ruling, but he did address the issue in an interview with Sports Illustrated last week. “For many very good reasons, people who lose in court can't turn around and punish the people who won,” Baker told SI.

How might the selection committee evaluate Alabama's run under Bediako differently than the rest of its schedule?

Borzello: The selection committee is likely to classify Bediako's status as it does any other player who played only part of the season due to injuries, eligibility status, etc. When evaluating a team's resume, the committee focuses primarily on how it performed with the group of players it will have during the NCAA tournament. For Alabama, it will be a team without Bediako. So yes, wins over Auburn and Texas A&M count, and they'll be on Alabama's team sheet come Selection Sunday. But when the committee compares the Tide's resume to other teams during the selection process, it will definitely take into account that those wins came with a player who is no longer on the team.

Joe Lunardi: At the end of the day, the whole thing will end up being overblown in terms of impact both on and off the court. Bediako was a factor in his five games, yes, but he was no Shaquille O'Neal. The Crimson Tide finished 3-2, exactly what most projections had it. Bediako's incremental contributions simply weren't enough to affect Alabama's overall numbers. Unless the team falls off a cliff, which no one expects, the committee doesn't need to spend much time on the issue. And if they collapse, the Tide's problems will be much bigger than one player.