The thin-and-getting-thinner line that divides college and professional sports has become microscopic. In fact, when it comes to the Southeastern Conference and the other so-called power leagues, we must ask: Is there really any line at all?

Take the case of Alabama basketball player Charles Bediako, a soon-to-be 24-year-old, 7-footer who recently quit the NBA G League to go back to school and play for the Crimson Tide. Bediako has played 82 games over three seasons in the G League (formerly the D League), which is supposed to be like basketball’s version of Class AAA in baseball. The players get paid.

And you might ask: Well, what’s the difference? College basketball players get paid, too, don’t they? For those questions, there is really only one answer. There is hardly any difference other than NBA stars make more money and don’t have to go to class.

And you also might ask: Is it fair that Mississippi State and Ole Miss must play against Bediako, a guy who declared himself a professional nearly three years ago? And a cynic, this one, might answer: If you think Bediako was making more money in the G League than Josh Hubbard is making at Mississippi State or Malik Dia is making at Ole Miss, you are either not keeping up or you are kidding yourself.

We can only guess what Hubbard makes at State but you better believe it’s a whole lot more than the G League base of about $45,000 a season.

The biggest college basketball star of recent years is surely Cooper Flagg, who was the national player of the year last season at Duke. There’s no way of knowing exactly what Flagg made for his one season at Duke, but published reports by reputable news outlets tell us he made in excess of $28 million. 

So Flagg declared for the draft after that one college season, was the NBA’s top pick and signed a four-year contract for $62.7 million. That figure doesn’t include what Flagg can and will make, and has made, in endorsements. Nevertheless, the $28 million (that we know of) at Duke doubles his $13.8 million rookie salary with the Dallas Mavericks.

But let’s get back to Bediako, who presumably will play for Alabama at Ole Miss on Feb. 11 and against Mississippi State in Tuscaloosa on Feb. 25. The Canada native is a former four-star recruit who chose Alabama over Duke well over half a decade ago. As a freshman at Alabama in the 2021-22, he was starter and a key player on a Crimson Tide team that won 19 games and made the NCAA Tournament. As a sophomore in 2022-23, he helped the Crimson Tide win 31 games, both SEC regular season and tournament championships and enter the NCAA Tournament as the No. 1 overall seed. San Diego State upset Alabama in the Sweet 16. In May of 2023, Bediako announced he had decided to forgo his college eligibility and turn pro. 

Nearly three years later, he has changed his mind. A Tuscaloosa County Circuit Court judge, who happens to be a huge Alabama athletics donor, granted Bediako a temporary restraining order that makes Bediako eligible to play for Alabama, at least for the time being.

Coaches and former coaches at rival schools have decried the situation. Former Auburn coach Bruce Pearl has said the NCAA should consider ruling Alabama, currently 14-7 and 4-4 in the SEC, ineligible for the NCAA Tournament.

Alabama has played three games since Bediako joined the team. The Crimson Tide has lost to Tennessee, swamped Missouri and was then blasted at defending national champion Florida on Sunday, 100-77.

Interestingly, Florida coach Todd Golden, who had criticized Alabama and its coach Nate Oats beforehand, promised “if he plays, we’ll beat them. Anyways.”

Boy, did they. Bediako scored only six points and grabbed six rebounds before fouling out with about two minutes to play. More tellingly, Florida out-scored Alabama 72-26 on points in the paint while Florida fans chanted, “G League Dropout” over and over. 

Dick Vitale, who was on the call for CBS, had this to say during the broadcast: “The bottom line is, you have a rule book. And the rule book says, according to the rules of the NCAA, (Bediako) is ineligible. However, the court system said ‘No, he can play.’ And you can’t blame a coach when (a judge) says you can play a 7-footer, you can’t blame a coach wanting to play him if they say he can play. So that’s the problem.”

No, the real problem is this: Where the NCAA and college athletics are concerned, there is  currently no rulebook – at least not one that can be enforced. Also, where the college sports (at the highest level) are concerned, there is no such thing as an amateur.