After several delays and a change of judges, Charles Bediako will finally get his day in court next Friday to make his case for why he deserves eligibility to finish out the 2025-26 season as a member of Alabama men’s basketball team. And Crimson Tide head coach Nate Oats will be in his corner the whole time.

During a press conference Friday ahead of Saturday’s road game at No. 19 Florida, Oats doubled down on his unflinching support for the 7-foot former professional in his ongoing legal battle vs. the NCAA. Bediako is seeking a temporary injunction against the NCAA, which declared the 23-year-old center ineligible after signing multiple contracts with NBA teams and playing the last three years in the G League.

“I think Charles has a good case on why he should be eligible,” Oats said Friday afternoon, according to BamaOnLine’s Charlie Potter. “I’m in 100% agreement with him and his attorneys on his case. We’ll let the attorneys and judges decide on a final ruling, but for this game, we’ve got him, and I think he helps us win.”

Nate Oats on Charles Bediako: “I think Charles has a good case on why he should be eligible. I’m in 100% agreement with him and his attorneys on his case. We’ll let the attorneys and judges decide on a final ruling, but for this game, we’ve got him, and I think he helps us win.”

— Charlie Potter (@Charlie_Potter) January 30, 2026

Newly-appointed Tusaloosa County Circuit Court judge Daniel Pruet rescheduled Bediako’s injunction hearing for Feb. 6 to address his request for a temporary injunction that would effectively allow him to finish out the current season with the Crimson Tide. Bediako, who previously played 68 career games in two seasons (2021-22 and 2022-23) in Tuscaloosa before entering the 2023 NBA Draft, only has one semester remaining in his five-year eligibility window that began in 2021.

After going undrafted, the 7-footer signed with the San Antonio Spurs, including a two-way contract that would have made him eligible to play in the NBA if elevated. Of course, that never happened, and Bediako spent the next two years bouncing around the G-League, signing deals with the Orlando Magic and Denver Nuggets.

Bediako is averaging 13.5 points and 4.5 rebounds in 21.5 minutes per game in two games since returning to No. 23 Alabama (14-6, 4-3 SEC) last week. After receiving a 10-day extension to the original temporary restraining order on Jan. 20 that first made him eligible, Bediako will be available to play Saturday at No. 19 Florida and against Texas A&M on Feb. 4 before next Friday’s hearing. Bediako’s availability for the Feb. 7 game at rival Auburn, and potentially the rest of Alabama’s season, will depend on what happens in that Feb. 6 hearing inside Tuscaloosa County Circuit Court.