Steven Pearl doesn’t know if he’ll have to face Charles Bediako in Saturday’s SEC showdown against Alabama on the Plains.
And that saddens the Auburn head coach, who spoke to reporters on Thursday, some 48 hours before the Tigers and Tide collide in a 4 p.m. ET tip off that will get the national TV treatment. Bediako is the much-embattled Alabama center who recently made his return to the Crimson Tide after 2.5 years in the NBA’s G League. His saga has caused a college basketball firestorm, with people on both sides of the issue.
Pearl is on Bediako’s side, and he wanted to make that crystal clear as Bediako gets ready for his preliminary injunction hearing on Friday. Bediako was granted a temporary restraining order against the NCAA, allowing him to return — for now, at least — to the Crimson Tide program he originally left behind. But Bediako wants to be able to play the rest of the season, and Friday’s hearing will be a big determining factor in both Bediako’s status for the rest of the season and, of course, for Saturday’s game against Pearl’s team.
“I feel for the kid. What happens (Friday) if he gets denied? What does he do? I hope the decision-makers in that room have thought through that,” Pearl said. “… I’m almost rooting for him to be able to play Saturday.”
Steven Pearl on Charles Bediako: "I feel for the kid. What happens tomorrow if he gets denied? What does he do? I hope the decision makers in that room have thought through that. … I'm almost rooting for him to be able to play Saturday."
— Nathan King (@NathanKing247) February 5, 2026Friday will help decide what happens to Bediako on Saturday.
Either way, as of Thursday, Pearl and his Tigers are preparing to play the Crimson Tide as if Bediako will be there, ready and available to be part of the rivalry.
Time will tell if he’ll get that chance, and the college basketball world won’t have to wait too much longer.
Prediction Markets SEC Basketball Regular Season Champion? Kalshi Florida 57.0% Kentucky 15.0% Tennessee 10.0% Arkansas 7.0% Vanderbilt 6.0% Predict Learn more about Prediction MarketsSteven Pearl says he’s rooting for Charles Bediako in legal fight with NCAA Saturday Down South.
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