Attorneys representing the NCAA asked Tuscaloosa County Circuit Judge James Roberts, Jr., on Monday to recuse himself from a lawsuit filed by University of Alabama center Charles Bediako.
Roberts granted NBA G League player Charles Bediako immediate eligibility to rejoin Alabama's basketball team last week.
Bediako filed a lawsuit in Tuscaloosa County Circuit Court against the NCAA, seeking to play for the Crimson Tide again. Roberts granted his motion for a temporary restraining order against the NCAA on Wednesday.
Bediako, a seven-footer who played for the Tide in the 2022-2023 season before entering the NBA Draft, averaged 4.4 points per game for the Motor City Cruise in the G League. According to the complaint, he's currently enrolled at the University of Alabama.
Bediako scored 13 points and had three rebounds in his return with the Tide on Saturday in a home loss to Tennessee.
The NCAA argued in a filing on Monday that Roberts's recusal was necessary to avoid an "appearance of impropriety." Roberts is reportedly a large donor to the Crimson Tide Foundation. According to media reports, his wife is a defense attorney representing Bediako's former Tide teammate Darius Miles, who is facing murder charges.
"Courts in Alabama and beyond have widely recognized that a mere appearance of partiality is sufficient to require the recusal of a trial judge. This appearance can be compounded by widespread media and public scrutiny questioning the trial court's impartiality. Despite the NCAA's confidence that the Court can disregard his connections to the University of Alabama and its athletics programs, recusal is still necessary to protect these proceedings from an appearance of impropriety," Cason Kirby, an attorney representing the NCAA in the Bediako lawsuit, said in a filing on Monday.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email [email protected].
Don't miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every weekday morning.
