Former NBA G League and Alabama center Charles Bediako’s bid to return to action for the Crimson Tide this season took another hit Friday.
The Alabama Supreme Court denied Bediako’s emergency motion for an interim injunction on Friday, according to multiple reports. If granted, the interim injunction would have made him eligible for Alabama’s road clash with Tennessee on Saturday.
The denial followed Bediako’s appeal to the state Supreme Court on Monday in a bid to overturn Tuscaloosa Circuit Court judge Daniel Pruet’s decision to deny him a preliminary injunction. Bediako and his lawyers also filed a request for interim relief from Pruet while the appeal was pending, which would have allowed him to play for Alabama again this season, but Pruet denied the request.
Bediako appeared in five games for Alabama under a temporary restraining order granted by Judge James H. Roberts Jr., who was later revealed to be an Alabama Athletics donor. The Crimson Tide went 3-2 in games Bediako appeared in, including wins over Auburn and Texas A&M.
Since Bediako was denied a preliminary injunction by Pruet, the Crimson Tide has continued its hot streak. The team has won seven straight games to end February and likely cemented itself in the NCAA tournament field. It will push for an eighth straight win and its first over the Volunteers in five games on Saturday.
Tipoff between Alabama and Tennessee is set for 5 p.m. CT, and the game can be seen on ESPN.
