NCAA ‘not in a position’ to further punish Alabama following Bediako ruling

Alabama basketball
(@ZachSchumaker/X)

The Crimson Tide men’s basketball program got a disappointing piece of news Monday afternoon, but it’s looking like the NCAA is choosing not to rub salt in the wound.

Center and former G-League pro Charles Bediako was denied his bid for a preliminary injunction against the NCAA to keep playing the rest of the season.

Bediako has become one of the most significant stories of the college hoops season. After playing in five games on a temporary restraining order, he has now ultimately played his final game in an Alabama uniform — almost three years after he left for the pro ranks the first time around.

Naturally, the first question on people’s mind after the ruling was whether or not the Crimson Tide would be punished. Alabama fans who were concerned about the team possibly having to vacate the three wins from his time back in Tuscaloosa can rest easy, at least according to NCAA President Charlie Baker.

“Despite the NCAA’s opposition to Bediako’s eligibility, the association is not in a position to sanction Alabama for breaking its rules by playing Bediako,” Baker told Sports Illustrated. “For a lot of really good reasons, people who lose in court can’t turn around and punish the people who won.”

Baker’s messaging is consistent with what Nate Oats has said every time he’s been asked that question, saying that the team would not be punished if things did not go their way in court.

While Oats and the program can be disappointed about the ruling, it sounds like the NCAA is not going back on their word, and Alabama can now simply move forward and focus on the rest of their season.

Michael Brauner is a Senior Sports Analyst and Contributing Writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @MBraunerWNSP and hear him every weekday morning from 6 to 9 a.m. on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5, available free online.