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What the Charles Bediako ruling means for Alabama and future NCAA eligibility cases
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Myron Medcalf
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Myron Medcalf
ESPN Staff Writer
- Myron Medcalf covers college basketball for ESPN.com. He joined ESPN in 2011.
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Which players are eligible to play college basketball came into clearer focus on Monday.
A Tuscaloosa circuit court judge denied Charles Bediako‘s motion for a preliminary injunction the same day the temporary retraining order that first allowed the former two-way NBA player — who played three seasons in the G League but never in an official NBA game — to play for Alabama was set to expire.
Bediako, who spent two seasons with the Tide between 2021 and 2023 before going undrafted in the 2023 NBA draft, averaged 21.6 minutes in the five games he played for Alabama between Jan. 24 and Feb. 7. The team went 3-2 over that stretch.
So what does the ruling mean for Alabama — and for future eligibility cases like Bediako’s? ESPN’s men’s college basketball reporters Jeff Borzello and Myron Medcalf answer the most pressing questions.
What could this mean for future instances of former NBA and G League players making their NCAA eligibility cases?
Borzello: The line in the sand has always been this: Once a player keeps his name in the NBA draft, he knowingly gives up his NCAA eligibility and is no longer able to play college basketball. That line was directly challenged in this case, and for now, the NCAA has prevailed.
The specifics of Bediako’s situation were different from that of Baylor’s James Nnaji. They were different from that of former G League players Thierry Darlan (Santa Clara) and Abdullah Ahmed (BYU). And they were different from that of former European professionals in the current college ranks. None of them had previously stepped foot on a college basketball court.
There is now precedent for future cases brought to court that aim to challenge the NCAA’s eligibility rules about former college players who have entered the NBA draft and/or signed two-way contracts with the league. And it won’t be long before we see it tested again, with former UCLA guard Amari Bailey — who left the Bruins in 2023 and played in 10 NBA games — exploring a return to college.
Medcalf: This decision creates different categories of players attempting to join the NCAA. As Jeff mentioned, the G League players who were cleared to play college basketball this season had not previously played college basketball. Nnaji hadn’t, either. The judge’s ruling, which could be challenged in a higher court, establishes that any player who plays in the NBA after playing college basketball is not allowed to return to college basketball.
The judge aligned himself with the NCAA in this decision, separating NBA participation after college as the ultimate disqualifier. It’s a major ruling in the NCAA’s favor, and if it holds, any G League, two-way or NBA player who fits that criteria will be denied.
What is Alabama’s outlook without Bediako?
Borzello: With Bediako in the fold, Alabama had close wins over Auburn and Texas A&M, a blowout victory over Missouri, and a pair of losses to Tennessee and Florida. He started two of the five games, averaging 10.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.4 blocks overall.
Where his departure will be felt the most is from a depth perspective, as head coach Nate Oats has been dealing with a litany of injuries all season. He now has to turn to Noah Williamson as his primary big man off the bench. The former Bucknell transfer has struggled all season, hasn’t scored since Jan. 10 and didn’t play in either of the past two games. Starting center Aiden Sherrell, however, has an opportunity here: He has enjoyed a breakthrough campaign and was coincidentally playing the best basketball of his college career just before Bediako joined the program.
Medcalf: The Tide have the same issues they had before Bediako arrived: They’re not a great defensive team. During his first stint in Tuscaloosa, Bediako was a key player for one of the top defensive programs in America. Even though he averaged 1.4 blocks during his second-chance run, the Tide ranked 106th in adjusted defensive efficiency over that five-game stretch and allowed opponents to make 54.1% of their shots inside the arc — one of the worst marks in the country, per BartTorvik. And as Jeff said, their bigger concern without Bediako is simply the lack of players to put on the floor in a tough SEC.
Are Alabama’s three wins with Bediako at risk of being vacated?
Borzello: Vacating wins has long been a path of punishment from the NCAA, forcing programs that played players later ruled ineligible because of NCAA violations to erase those wins and records from the annals. In this case, though, it seems unlikely.
The temporary restraining order that allowed Bediako to play also stated that the NCAA is “restrained from threatening, imposing, attempting to impose, suggesting or implying any penalties or sanctions” against Bediako or Alabama. And even though the order is no longer viable, the NCAA would, in essence, be penalizing the Crimson Tide for what a judge ruled.
NCAA president Charlie Baker didn’t mention the idea of vacating wins in his brief statement in the wake of Monday’s ruling, but he did address it in an interview with Sports Illustrated last week. “For a lot of really good reasons, people who lose in court can’t turn around and punish the people who won,” Baker told SI.
How might the selection committee weigh Alabama’s run with Bediako differently than the rest of their schedule?
Borzello: The selection committee is likely to classify Bediako’s status like it does that of any other player who played only a portion of the season because of injuries, eligibility status, etc. When evaluating a team’s résumé, the committee puts its primary focus on how it performed with the group of players it will have during the NCAA tournament. For Alabama, that will be a team without Bediako. So yes, the wins over Auburn and Texas A&M count, and they will be on Alabama’s team sheet on Selection Sunday. But when the committee is comparing the Tide’s résumé to other squads’ during the seeding process, it will absolutely factor in that those wins came with a player no longer on the team.
Joe Lunardi: At the end of the day, the entire affair will end up overblown in terms of both on- and off-court impact. Bediako was a factor in his five games, yes, but he wasn’t Shaquille O’Neal. The Crimson Tide went 3-2, exactly what most projections had regardless. Bediako’s incremental contributions simply weren’t enough to affect Alabama’s overall numbers. Unless the team falls off a cliff, which no one expects, the committee needn’t spend much time on the topic. And, if they do collapse, the Tide’s issues will be much bigger than one player.
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IndyCar rookie Caio Collet was involved in a terrifying crash toward the end of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday afternoon with Felix Rosenqvist and Pato O’Ward fighting for first place.
Collet got loose in Turn 2 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and overcorrected just enough to send his vehicle into the wall. His right rear caught fire as he skidded down the track and onto the grass.
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Caio Collet drives a Combitrans AJ Foyt Enterprises Chevrolet through turn three during practice on Miller Lite Carb Day at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Ind., on May 22, 2026. (Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire)
Emergency personnel came over to put the fire out and help Collet out of his car.
He was able to walk away from the scary wreck, but track officials called for a red flag. The red flag stopped the race and gave drivers a breather for what would be a total shootout for the final few laps.
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Caio Collet leads the field during the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis on May 24, 2026. (Michael Conroy/AP)
Collet will fall down the leaderboard as he didn’t finish the race.
The A.J. Foyt Racing driver was making his first appearance in the Indy 500. He graduated into the NTT IndyCar Series after finishing second in the Indy NXT Series last year. He won three races on the Indy NXT Series in 2025.
The Brazilian came into the race in 21st place in the IndyCar standings with 70 points through six starts. He has yet to finish in the top 10 in his first season.
David Maluka talks with Caio Collet before practice for the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis on May 18, 2026. (Michael Conroy/AP)
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The 2026 Indy 500 already featured more than 50 lead changes and was one of the more competitive events in recent memory.
Felix Rosenqvist won the race on the final lap.
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When the NASCAR Cup Series went to Charlotte for the Coca-Cola 600 in 2025, Ross Chastain got into Victory Lane after closing at +1800 to be the outright winner.
Chastain’s impressive win came after leading only eight laps on the day.
Which driver will take the checkered flag when the series goes back to Charlotte Motor Speedway on Memorial Day Weekend for one of NASCAR’s Crown Jewels?
Here are the odds at DraftKings Sportsbook as of May 24.
This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports.
NASCAR Cup Series Coca-Cola 600
Denny Hamlin: +380 (bet $10 to win $48 total)
Tyler Reddick: +500 (bet $10 to win $60 total)
Kyle Larson: +800 (bet $10 to win $90 total)
Christopher Bell: +800 (bet $10 to win $90 total)
Chase Briscoe: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)
William Byron: +1100 (bet $10 to win $120 total)
Carson Hocevar: +1100 (bet $10 to win $120 total)
Ryan Blaney: +1400 (bet $10 to win $150 total)
Chase Elliott: +1400 (bet $10 to win $150 total)
Brad Keselowski: +1800 (bet $10 to win $190 total)
Ty Gibbs: +2000 (bet $10 to win $210 total)
Ross Chastain: +2200 (bet $10 to win $230 total)
Chris Buescher: +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)
Bubba Wallace: +2800 (bet $10 to win $290 total)
Alex Bowman: +2800 (bet $10 to win $290 total)
Austin Dillon: +4000 (bet $10 to win $410 total)
Joey Logano: +4500 (bet $10 to win $460 total)
Connor Zilisch: +4500 (bet $10 to win $460 total)
Austin Hill: +4500 (bet $10 to win $460 total)
Austin Cindric: +5500 (bet $10 to win $560 total)
Ryan Preece: +9000 (bet $10 to win $910 total)
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: +9000 (bet $10 to win $910 total)
Michael McDowell: +9000 (bet $10 to win $910 total)
Corey Heim: +9000 (bet $10 to win $910 total)
Erik Jones: +10000 (bet $10 to win $1,010 total)
Shane van Gisbergen: +13000 (bet $10 to win $1,310 total)
AJ Allmendinger: +15000 (bet $10 to win $1,510 total)
Daniel Suarez: +17000 (bet $10 to win $1,710 total)
Josh Berry: +18000 (bet $10 to win $1,810 total)
John Hunter Nemechek: +25000 (bet $10 to win $2,510 total)
Zane Smith: +35000 (bet $10 to win $3,510 total)
Ty Dillon: +50000 (bet $10 to win $5,010 total)
Noah Gragson: +50000 (bet $10 to win $5,010 total)
Todd Gilliland: +60000 (bet $10 to win $6,010 total)
Riley Herbst: +60000 (bet $10 to win $6,010 total)
Cole Custer: +80000 (bet $10 to win $8,010 total)
Katherine Legge: +90000 (bet $10 to win $9,010 total)
Timmy Hill: +100000 (bet $10 to win $10,010 total)
Cody Ware: +100000 (bet $10 to win $10,010 total)
Here’s what to know about the oddsboard:
The Favorite
Denny Hamlin is coming in hot off an All-Star Race win at Dover. And while it wasn’t a points race, coming into Charlotte after starting from the pole and leading 103 laps in last week’s exhibition could give him the momentum he needs to grab the checkered flag at the Coke 600. His first and only win at this race came in 2022. In 2025, he started 20th but finished 16th after posting the best lap of the day at 29.37 and leading 53 laps.
One to Watch
Tyler Reddick is having an incredible season. He’s gotten into Victory Lane five times, including the first three races of the year. Cup qualifying got rained out, so Reddick will start from the pole today at Charlotte in accordance with league rules. On the season, Reddick has led 201 laps and has eight finishes in the top five. In 2025, he finished the Coca-Cola 600 26th after leading only one lap.
Sports
Pakistan’s Faisal Shafi becomes first local runner to achieve provisional eighth marathon star
KARACHI: Pakistani runners turned the streets of Cape Town into a landmark chapter of the country’s growing marathon movement as Karachi’s Faisal Shafi and British-Pakistani runner Huma Rehman achieved the eighth star, although currently a provisional star, at the 2026 Cape Town Marathon, a race expected to become the next Abbott World Marathon Major.
Competing against a backdrop of Table Mountain, the Pakistani contingent produced a significant collective performance on the global marathon stage.
More than 27,000 runners participated in the event, but for Pakistan’s marathon running community, the spotlight belonged to a small group of runners representing the country’s running community in the world’s most scenic marathon courses.
Karachi-based Shafi emerged as the central figure of the story. Completing the 42.195-kilometre race in 3 hours, 35 minutes and 37 seconds, Shafi became the first Pakistan-based runner to complete eight World Marathon stars, a milestone considered among the rarest achievements in recreational endurance running.
“This is my eighth star,” Shafi told Geo News after crossing the finish line.
“The eighth Major was actually supposed to happen in Cape Town last year, but due to bad weather, the marathon was cancelled.”
The Cape Town Marathon currently remains in the candidacy phase for Abbott World Marathon Major status.
Organisers announced before the race that every finisher would receive a provisional Major star, similar to the pathway Sydney followed before officially becoming a Major.
Once Cape Town passes its final assessment and is officially inducted into the World Marathon Majors, the provisional star will automatically convert to a fully recognised star, retroactively counting toward your Major
The development effectively made this year’s Cape Town Marathon one of the most historically significant races outside the existing Major circuit. If officially approved, Cape Town would become the first African race to join the elite series alongside Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, New York and Sydney.
For Shafi, it was beyond personal achievement.
“I am the first eight-star finisher from Pakistan and the first person to complete eight stars while living in Pakistan,” he said.
“This is a huge leap for Pakistan in marathon running because eight stars is a very elusive achievement. Even globally, only a few hundred people may have completed eight stars.”
Shafi’s run itself reflected the composure of an experienced marathoner. He crossed the halfway mark in 1:39:56 and maintained a disciplined pace through the opening 30 kilometres, consistently running between 4:44 and 4:46 per kilometre before the challenging latter stages tested the field.
While Shafi carried Pakistan’s headline moment, British Pakistani runner Huma Rehman produced one of the strongest performances among the Pakistani-origin participants. She completed the race in an impressive 3:31:34, finishing ahead of Shafi overall and becoming the first British Pakistani runner to secure the eighth world star milestone.
Her race was a masterclass in rhythm and consistency. After reaching 5km in 25:52, Huma gradually accelerated through the course, clocking 51:36 at 10km and 1:16:45 at 15km before crossing halfway in 1:46:43. Remarkably, she maintained almost identical pacing deep into the latter stages of the race, covering 30km in 2:30:52, reaching 35km in 2:56:08 and crossing 40km in 3:20:53, averaging almost exactly five minutes per kilometer across much of the second half of the marathon, a sign of elite endurance management on a demanding course.
Pakistan and the overseas Pakistani community had six representatives in the marathon. Karachi’s Hina Shaukat produced a personal-best performance of 4:31:23, while Lahore runner Amina Sibtain completed her first-ever marathon in 4:44:51. Kashif Zulfiqar crossed the line moments later in 4:44:54.
Canadian Pakistani runner Ziyad Rahim completed the race in 6:54:33.
Hina Shaukat said that the Cape Town marathon was the proudest finish of her running career.
“It was my third marathon, and I was able to shave 40 minutes off my PR,” she said.
“My family was there at the finish line, and they made this one extra special. The photos may not look fast, but the clock definitely was. This was, undoubtedly, my proudest finish yet,” she told Geo News.
Beyond the results, however, the race symbolised something larger for Pakistan’s slowly expanding marathon running culture. Community running events in Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore have witnessed rapid growth in recent years, and Faisal Shafi believes milestones like Cape Town can inspire even more people to embrace marathon running.
“God willing, more people will now be inspired towards marathon running,” he said. “Just like the recent One Run event in Karachi, where so many people participated, I believe this sport will continue growing in Pakistan.”
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