First stint (2021–2023)
As a freshman for the Crimson Tide in 2021–22, Bediako averaged 6.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. [7] He was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team. [8]
As a sophomore in 2022–23, Bediako averaged 6.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, 0.6 assists and 1.8 blocks per game. [9]
On March 31, 2023, Bediako announced that he would enter the NBA Draft pool and sign with an agent while maintaining his eligibility. [10] He competed in the NBA G League Elite Camp, but he did not earn an invitation to the NBA Draft Combine. [10] At the Elite Camp, Bediako was measured at 6 foot 10 without shoes and weighed 223.4 pounds. He also recorded a 7-foot-3 wingspan. [11]
Despite not being invited to the NBA Draft Combine, Bediako announced on May 24, 2023, that he would forgo his remaining collegiate eligibility and persist with entering the NBA draft. [10] He went on to completed pre-draft workouts with the Memphis Grizzlies, Portland Trail Blazers, Utah Jazz, Oklahoma City Thunder, Dallas Mavericks, San Antonio Spurs, Charlotte Hornets, Boston Celtics, and Toronto Raptors. [12]
Second stint (2026)
In January 2026, Bediako became the center of a major eligibility and legal controversy after attempting to return to college basketball at Alabama following time in the NBA G League. Bediako had entered the 2023 NBA draft, signed a two-way contract with the San Antonio Spurs, and played professionally in the G League, actions that traditionally make an athlete permanently ineligible for NCAA competition. After the NCAA denied Alabama's request for his reinstatement, Bediako filed a lawsuit against the organization, arguing that recent eligibility decisions had been inconsistent and unfairly restrictive. A Tuscaloosa County Circuit Court judge issued a temporary restraining order allowing him to practice and compete for Alabama while the case proceeded, marking an unprecedented challenge to long standing NCAA amateurism rules. The case drew national attention and sparked debate among coaches, administrators, and legal experts about the future of college eligibility rules in the era of name image and likeness compensation and professional pathways. [13]
On January 21, Bediako was granted the temporary restraining order, which allowed him to return to briefly play with the Crimson Tide during the 2025–26 season. [14] [15] On February 9, his temporary restraining order expired and he was denied a motion to play out the 2025–26 NCAA season. He played five games for Alabama between January 24 and February 7, helping the team go 3–2 over that stretch. [16]
