After the Tuscaloosa Circuit Court ruled in favor of the NCAA, Charles Bediako became ineligible to represent the Alabama Crimson Tide this season. Things could change soon, though, as the former NBA G-League Center has taken another legal route in his fight to gain eligibility for College Basketball.

The Charles Bediako saga seemed to end after the court upheld the NCAA’s rejection of Alabama’s initial request to let Bediako play this season. However, the 23-year-old’s attorneys have appealed the decision in the Alabama Supreme Court as they continue their battle for Bediako’s chance to return to College Basketball.

Charles Bediako has already appeared in 5 games for the Alabama Crimson Tide after he received a TRO against the early NCAA ruling that prevented him from returning to Alabama’s College Basketball team. The presiding judge then recused himself after the NCAA’s motion, because of his presence on the donor list on the Crimson Tide Foundation website.

The new judge, Daniel Pruet, ruled in favor of the NCAA, and the decision stopped Bediako’s return to the Alabama setup. The Center is seeking immediate injunctive relief against the court ruling as well, which would allow him to play for the Alabama Crimson Tide while the appeal is pending.

Alabama head coach Nate Oats has continued to support Bediako’s stance and has highlighted how he is within his 5-year NCAA eligibility window. The 51-year-old also pointed out other NBA G-League stars who are currently playing College Basketball, with players like James Nnaji even entering the Baylor Bears program as a freshman.

In Bediako’s absence, Alabama has been on a winning streak, racing to a 20-7 overall record and becoming a serious contender for the SEC title. The 23-year-old averaged 10 points and 4.6 rebounds per game in his 5 appearances for Alabama, and Nate Oats could use someone like him in the conference playoffs and the NCAA Tournament.

Alabama could get into the top-16 seedings by Selection Sunday

The NCAA Men’s College Basketball selection committee revealed its tentative seeding and bracket preview ahead of Selection Sunday. While Michigan bagged the top seed, followed closely by Duke and Arizona, the Alabama Crimson Tide narrowly missed out, with Virginia on 16.

Committee chair Keith Gill revealed more details about their choices and named Alabama as one contender for the final seeding spot, which ultimately went to Virginia.

Gill highlighted how they considered Alabama’s usage of Charles Bediako. But their 16-5 record without Bediako appealed to them, making the Crimson Tide an outside name for the 16th seed.

While these bracket reveals are often indicators of the ultimate seeding during Selection Sunday, much can still change before March 15. Alabama has four games remaining, and no seeded teams to face in its lead-up to Selection Sunday.

The Alabama Crimson Tide has won six consecutive games, displaying exceptional offensive caliber on the court. If they can stretch their winning streak to 10 games and other teams falter, head coach Nate Oats could still see his Alabama team enter the top-16 seeding for the NCAA Tournament.

For now, the primary focus will be on the conference playoffs and getting the best out of the currently available players as the Alabama college program awaits an update on the Charles Bediako situation.