On Wednesday, an Alabama judge announced that Alabama basketball player Charles Bediako was ineligible to play. Afterward, NCAA President Charlie Baker released an official declaration about the judge's decision, per NCAA News.
“Common sense won a round today. The court saw this for what it is: an attempt by professionals to pivot back to college and crowd out the next generation of students. College sports are for students, not for people who already walked away to go pro and now want to hit the ‘undo’ button at the expense of a teenager’s dream. While we’re glad the court upheld the rules our members actually want, one win doesn't fix the national mess of state laws. It’s time for Congress to stop watching from the sidelines and help us provide some actual stability.”
Bediako, 23, is currently a center/forward for Alabama. He played for Alabama from 2021 to 2023 before declaring for the NBA Draft in 2023. After declaring, Bediako signed a two-way contract with the San Antonio Spurs and ultimately played in the NBA G League, making him a professional basketball player.
Following his professional experience, the NCAA denied Bediako's eligibility to play. In response, he filed a lawsuit against the NCAA, accusing it of setting the rules at random.
Despite these eligibility challenges, this season Bediako averaged 10.0 points and 4.6 rebounds over five games. In his freshman season, he averaged 6.7 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. Plus, Bediako was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team.
In his sophomore year, he averaged 6.4 points and 6.0 rebounds per game.
The NCAA's eligibility rule states that former professional athletes may only regain eligibility if five years have passed since their high school graduation and they did not sign a professional contract during that time.
