"The approval of requests from three former G League players -- Thierry Darlan (Santa Clara), London Johnson (Louisville) and Abdullah Ahmed (BYU) -- turned heads early in the season. Then the stakes were raised when the NCAA granted eligibility to former NBA draft pick James Nnaji (Baylor) in late December, drawing louder criticism from legendary coaches such as Tom Izzo and John Calipari and forcing the NCAA to release a statement that it "has not and will not grant eligibility to any prospective or returning student-athletes who have signed an NBA contract (including a two-way contract).""
"Now we've reached an apparent boiling point, with Charles Bediako -- a former Alabama player who signed a two-way contract with the San Antonio Spurs -- suing the NCAA for denying his request and being granted a temporary restraining order that allowed him to join all Alabama team activities for 10 days. Bediako did take the floor in Saturday's home loss to Tennessee, recording 13 points (including four dunks), 3 rebounds, 2 blocks and 2 steals in 25 minutes for the injury-riddled roster."
"On Monday, the hearing for a preliminary injunction, originally set for Tuesday, was postponed, and the temporary restraining order was extended another 10 days after the original expiration date. The new date for the hearing has yet to be announced."
College basketball eligibility rules are being challenged as former professional players seek NCAA clearance and pursue court action. Early-season approvals for three former G League players and a December eligibility grant to former NBA draft pick James Nnaji prompted criticism and an NCAA statement that it will not grant eligibility to student-athletes who signed NBA contracts, including two-way deals. Charles Bediako, who signed a two-way with the San Antonio Spurs, sued after the NCAA denied his eligibility and received a temporary restraining order allowing participation for 10 days, during which he played and recorded 13 points and multiple defensive stats. A preliminary injunction hearing was postponed and the restraining order extended.
Read at ESPN.com
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