Alabama basketball intends to play center Charles Bediako against Tennessee on Saturday night, Field of 68’s Jeff Goodman first reported Wednesday night. The decision comes on the same day that the Circuit Court of Tuscaloosa County granted Bediako’s request for a temporary restraining order against the NCAA, giving him immediate eligibility.
Bediako played two years at Alabama before declaring for the 2023 NBA Draft. After going undrafted, Bediako signed a two-way contract with the San Antonio Spurs. He has not played in the NBA, rather spending the last 2.5 years in the G League in the Spurs, Denver Nuggets and Detroit Pistons organization.
The 6-foot-11 center sued the NCAA to be able to play the remainder of the 2026 season on Tuesday night before the Tuscaloosa judge granted his request for a temporary restraining order. The decision gives Bediako temporary eligibility before a court more definitively decides Bediako’s eligibility next Tuesday, Jan. 27.
Bediako’s eligibility being temporary made it unclear whether Alabama would play him on Saturday against Tennessee or if they would hold him out until next week’s decision provided more permanent clarity.
Bediako was the starting center for the Crimson Tide’s 2023 SEC Championship team. A high-level rim protector, Bediako averaged 6.4 points, six rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game in a season the Crimson Tide was the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.
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The Canada native declared for the NBA Draft following the 2023 season but went undrafted. He’s spent the last 2.5 years in the G-League, playing in 34 games last season where he averaged 10.4 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. This season, Bediako is averaging just 4.3 points and 6.3 rebounds in six games played.
Both Tennessee and Alabama are off during the midweek ahead of Saturday’s matchup in Tuscaloosa. It’s an important game for Tennessee (12-6, 2-3 SEC) who is looking to bounce back from its home loss against Kentucky with its first true road win of the season.
Alabama has also been shaky in SEC play so far, entering the matchup 13-5 (3-2 SEC) and coming off narrow road wins over Mississippi State and Oklahoma. The Crimson Tide boast one of the nation’s best backcourts with Labaron Philon, Aden Holloway and Latrell Wrightsell but has lacked an inside presence this season. The Crimson Tide is one of the SEC’s worst defensive rebounding teams with a number of their losses coming due to heavy losses on the backboard. Bediako will help mitigate those concerns in the short term.
Tipoff between Tennessee and Alabama is at 8:30 p.m. ET on Saturday night. ESPN is broadcasting the game.
