Steven Pearl, Auburn preparing as if Charles Bediako will be available for Alabama

Charles Bediako‘s controversial eligibility battle vs. the NCAA could very well be resolved before the annual Iron Bowl of Basketball rivalry series between Alabama and Auburn resumes Saturday on The Plains. Bediako’s legal team is set to make its case for injunctive relief against the NCAA enforcing its eligibility rules during a scheduled Friday hearing inside Tuscaloosa County Circuit Court.

And while it’s still quite unpredictable whether the Crimson Tide’s 7-footer will win his case or if the NCAA will ultimately prevail, first-year Tigers head coach Steven Pearl is hedging his bets and preparing as if Alabama‘s former G-League player will be on the court at 4 pm ET Saturday in Neville Arena.

“You have to prepare as if he’s going to play, right, because I would anticipate he’s going to be out there,” Pearl said Monday during the Greater Birmingham Tip Off Club meeting in Birmingham, via AL.com. “Any time you’re playing a team, whether they’re dealing with something like that – an eligibility question or an injury – you’ve got to prepare for them as if you’re playing (against) a full-strength roster. And that’s what we’re going to do.”

Not that Bediako’s presence has exactly paid off on the floor for Alabama. The Crimson Tide (14-7, 4-4 SEC) fell from the Top 25 rankings this week after losing two of the three games the 7-footer appeared in ahead of Wednesday’s home game vs. Texas A&M. Still, there are many around the sport that believe Bediako could still be a difference-maker for Alabama, especially once other players on the roster return to full strength. Of course, whether he’ll get that chance will ultimately up to a Tuscaloosa judge.

Steven Pearl on Charles Bediako controversy: ‘All Nate (Oats) is trying to do is win basketball games’

And while some college coaches have been quite critical of Alabama and head coach Nate Oats even playing Bediako while his case goes through the courts, Pearl understands the nuance of the situation at play given the NCAA’s inability to enforce its rules while facing a litany of legal battles.

“What’s happening is being done within the guidelines that we’re currently operating under,” Pearl added Monday. “If you can get a judge to get a temporary restraining order to allow a player to play, then until (coaches are) told they can’t do that, that’s what people will continue to do.

“All Nate (Oats) is trying to do is win basketball games. That’s what we’re all trying to do. I can’t say whether that’s right or wrong — that’s not my place,” Pearl concluded. “So, I understand what Nate’s doing. That doesn’t mean it’s right or wrong. He’s trying to put his team in the best position to win games, and I get that. But whatever happens on Friday happens, we just have to be prepared one way or the other to face a really good Alabama team.”