Alabama center Charles Bediako points the finger directly at two current Tennessee players in battle with NCAA
The former NBA G League player is working to regain his eligibility, and he’s trying to use two current Vols in his fight.
The Tennessee Volunteers were the subject of a nationwide controversy back in late January, when a Tuscaloosa judge entered a temporary restraining order and ruled that NBA G League player Charles Bediako could return to Alabama and play against the Vols.
Tennessee ultimately got the last laugh, topping Bediako and the rest of the Crimson Tide 79-73 at Coleman Coliseum.
However, Tennessee is, in a way, back in the spotlight of Bediako’s case once again. Well, at least two current players on the Vols’ roster are.
Bediako’s attorneys submitted a list of discovery requests to the NCAA as part of his ongoing case against them for eligibility. Included among them were requests for the NCAA to admit that Clarence Massamba and Ethan Burg were granted eligibility after playing for professional teams in Europe.
Alabama’s Charles Bediako asks the NCAA to admit they gave Tennessee Vols Clarence Massamba and Ethan Burg eligibility after playing in Europe
The requests read as follows:
“Admit that you have granted eligibility to Clarence Massamba, a current student-athlete at the University of Tennessee and former member of AS Monaco Basket from Monaco.”
“Admit that you have granted eligibility to Ethan Burg, a current student-athlete at the University of Tennessee and former member of Bnei Herzliya from Israel.”
It’s obvious what Bediako’s attorneys are doing here. They’re trying to establish a pattern of the NCAA giving eligibility to players who played professional. And from a very general level, they may have a point.
However, it’s completely misplaced to expect anyone to believe that playing for a small professional league in another country is akin to playing in the NBA or the G League. The G League has a number of players who have played in the NBA, including former Vol Jaden Springer, who was a part of the 2023-24 Boston Celtics NBA championship roster and logged playing time in the NBA Finals. It’s simply a different situation.
We’ll find out soon enough if Bediako’s attempts at longer-term relief from a judge are successful, as his injunction hearing is scheduled to take place on Friday, February 6.
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