Alabama men’s basketball player Charles Bediako is not giving up in his efforts to continue playing college hoops.
Bediako is appealing his eligibility ruling to the Alabama Supreme Court. On Feb. 9, a Tuscaloosa Circuit Court judge denied a preliminary injunction in Bediako’s lawsuit against the NCAA, making him ineligible to continue playing for the Crimson Tide. That decision overruled a temporary restraining order for immediate eligibility that was granted to Bediako in January and allowed him to play five games for Alabama this season.
Now Bediako is appealing the Feb. 9 decision by judge Daniel Pruet, while simultaneously seeking injunctive relief from Pruet (again) to return to the floor for the Tide while his appeal is pending.
It is unclear when or if the Alabama Supreme Court might hear Bediako’s appeal, which is why, with the season winding down, he is asking for injunctive relief from the same court and judge that denied it earlier this month.
“Injunctive relief is warranted while Plaintiff’s appeal to the Alabama Supreme Court is pending,” representatives for Bediako wrote in a motion filed Monday. “[Bediako’s] appeal is unlikely to resolve before the season concludes. Without interim injunctive relief, the whole purpose for [Bediako’s] appeal — the ability to play basketball for the University of Alabama for the remainder of play in 2026 — will be null.”
The motion requests for Bediako to be deemed “immediately eligible” and also that the NCAA would be prohibited “from taking any retribution against any member institution for which [Bediako] competes.”
The Supreme Court of Alabama is the state’s highest court and composed of a chief justice and eight associate justices. It has authority to review decisions made by other state courts.
Bediako, 23, originally played for Alabama from 2021 to 2023. The 7-footer declared for the 2023 NBA Draft after two college seasons, at the time forgoing his remaining eligibility. He went undrafted but signed a two-way contract with an NBA team and spent most of the past three seasons competing in the G League, including as recently as a game on Jan. 17. He never appeared in an NBA game.
He rejoined Alabama last month and took his case to court after the NCAA denied Alabama’s request to reinstate his college eligibility. Bediako averaged 10 points and 4.6 rebounds in 21.6 minutes per game under the temporary restraining order, with the team going 3-2 when Bediako played.
The denial of a preliminary injunction on Feb. 9 represented a significant win for the NCAA, which has faced numerous challenges to its eligibility rules.
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