Charles Bediako has not given up on his quest to play college basketball for Alabama this season.
After initially being granted a temporary restraining order to return to the Crimson Tide, Bediako played five games before losing his preliminary injunction in court against the NCAA. Bediako hasn't played since Alabama's February 7th win at Auburn, but he hasn't given up hope of getting back on the court this year.
Bediako and his attorneys recently filed an appeal with Judge Daniel Pruet of his decision to deny the injunction. Pruet quickly denied the appeal, but Bediako has since filed an appeal with the Alabama Supreme Court, where he asked for an emergency motion and for a ruling to come by Friday so he could potentially return to the court to play on Saturday against Tennessee.
There's no indication whether Alabama would allow Bediako to return to the court if the Alabama Supreme Court ruled in his favor. The Crimson Tide has gone 5-0 without Bediako, and they've been noticeably quiet during the appeal process.
In all likelihood, Bediako isn't going to win the appeal anyway. And he seems to know that. In the midst of trying to gain eligibility by this weekend, the former Alabama center is currently in Puerto Rico playing for Team Canada in the FIBA World Cup qualifiers.
Bediako played for Canada on Thursday night against Puerto Rico, logging 16 minutes and scoring 8 points with 7 rebounds. Bediako and Canada will head to Jamaica for a second game on Sunday, where he is expected to be with the team.
If he - or Alabama - thought there was a high probability of him being allowed to return to college basketball this season, it's unlikely he'd be playing FIBA basketball right now.
Charles Bediako is suiting up for Team Canada amid college eligibility dispute
Bediako's appeal always seemed to have less to do with getting back on the court for the Crimson Tide this season and more to do with setting up for further lawsuits against the NCAA this offseason, where he may sue for damages or perhaps for a full season of eligibility.
Nate Oats and Alabama don't need the distraction anymore, and appear to have moved on from it. Bediako has stuck around the team until recently joining Team Canada for a couple of FIBA matchups. He'd been on the bench for Tide home games and practicing with the team.
He'll likely return to Tuscaloosa after Sunday's FIBA matchup, but he's unlikely to suit up for Alabama again this season, regardless of what the state Supreme Court rules.