The Crimson Tide men\u2019s basketball program got a disappointing piece of news Monday afternoon, but it\u2019s looking like the NCAA is choosing not to rub salt in the wound.<\/p>\n
Center and former G-League pro Charles Bediako was denied his bid for a preliminary injunction against the NCAA to keep playing the rest of the season.<\/p>\n
Bediako has become one of the most\u00a0significant stories of the college hoops season.\u00a0After playing in five games on a temporary restraining order, he has now ultimately played his final game in an Alabama uniform \u2014\u00a0almost three years after he left for the pro ranks the first time around.<\/p>\n
Naturally, the first question on people\u2019s mind after the ruling was whether or not the Crimson Tide would be\u00a0punished. Alabama fans who were concerned about the team possibly having to vacate the three wins from his time back in Tuscaloosa can rest easy, at least according to NCAA President Charlie Baker.<\/p>\n
\u201cDespite the NCAA\u2019s opposition to Bediako\u2019s eligibility, the association is not in a position to sanction Alabama for breaking its rules by playing Bediako,\u201d Baker\u00a0told\u00a0Sports Illustrated<\/em><\/a>. \u201cFor a lot of really good reasons, people who lose in court can\u2019t turn around and punish the people who won.\u201d<\/p>\n Baker\u2019s messaging is consistent with\u00a0what Nate Oats\u00a0has said every time he\u2019s been asked that question, saying that the team would not be punished if things did not go their way in court.<\/p>\n While Oats and the program can be disappointed about the ruling, it sounds like the NCAA is not going back on their word, and Alabama can now simply move forward and focus on the rest of their season.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"