Another former professional basketball player has gone back to school.
Charles Bediako, who has already spent multiple seasons in the G League, played in his first game back with Alabama during their 79-73 loss against Tennessee on Saturday night.
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Bediako finished the game with 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting, along with two steals and two blocks in 25 minutes off the bench.
Bediako said his relationship with coach Nate Oats played a key part in his decision to return.
“That staff really trusts and believes in me and plays to my strengths,” Bediako said after the game. “Obviously when that opportunity came, it just felt right to come back.”
Charles Bediako receives instructions from head coach Nate Oats during the first half of Alabama’s 79-73 over Tennessee on Jan. 24, 2026 in Tuscaloosa. Getty Images
Bediako checked into the game amid a rousing ovation with 16:11 to play in the first half and helped the 17th-ranked Crimson Tide score 26 points in the paint while building a 39-36 lead at the break.
He scored on an inbounds pick-and-roll play, two alley-oop passes and a layup. His emphatic block ignited a fast break that led to a dunk.
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The 23-year-old center was quieter in the second half, but he added an inside presence that Alabama had been missing all season.
With starting center Aiden Sherrell in foul trouble throughout the game, Bediako logged the fourth-most minutes on the team and finished with the highest plus-minus rating at plus-10.
“I thought he was good,” Oats said after the loss. “Thought he meshed well with our guys early. For a guy that’s been here a few days, to fit in with the team, I thought he was good. He’s got to get a few more rebounds for us. He knows that. He’s a great teammate. He’s gonna help us moving forward.”
The 23-year-old was granted a temporary restraining order on Wednesday which ultimately made him eligible to return to college basketball immediately, making him the first player to return to the NCAA after previously signing an NBA contract.
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“We are planning to play him,” Alabama head coach Nate Oats said of Bediako on Friday, per ESPN. “He’s eligible to play. We’re going to follow the court orders.”
Bediako, a 7-foot-3 center, had previously spent two seasons playing for the Crimson Tide in 2021-22 and 2022-23 before leaving the school for the NBA Draft.
He ultimately went undrafted and never played in an NBA game, but he did spend the past three seasons on three different G League teams, and signing two-way contracts with them.
Bediako has most recently suited up for the Piston’s G-League affiliate, Motor City Cruise, earlier this month.
Charles Bediako runs up the court during Alabama’s loss to Tennessee. Getty Images
Oats noted that Bediako is still in the five-year window of his high school graduation, comparing his situation to European players who have played professionally before being cleared to play college basketball.
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“Since the NCAA has already allowed professionals to play — virtually every team we’ve played this year or will play has a former professional player on their roster — you tell me how I’m supposed to tell Charles and the team that we’re not going to support them when he’s been deemed legally eligible to play,” Oats said.
During his first stint in Alabama, Bediako was named to the SEC All-Freshman team, and later averaged 6.4 points and 6.0 rebounds during his sophomore campaign for the Crimson Tide.
Bediako’s return to college basketball comes after James Nnaji of Baylor made his NCAA return earlier this month after being drafted by the Hornets with the No. 31 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
Despite being an NBA draft selection, Nnaji never signed with a team, which is what ultimately made him eligible for college basketball.
— with AP