Amid an unruly time in the landscape of college basketball in which former NBA Draft pick James Nnaji signed with Baylor and former NBA player Trentyn Flowers was reportedly garnering interest from multiple collegiate programs, NCAA President Charlie Baker has put his foot down. In a statement posted to X/Twitter, Baker declared that the NCAA […]
Amid an unruly time in the landscape of college basketball in which former NBA Draft pick James Nnaji signed with Baylor and former NBA player Trentyn Flowers was reportedly garnering interest from multiple collegiate programs, NCAA President Charlie Baker has put his foot down.
In a statement posted to X/Twitter, Baker declared that the NCAA would not grant eligibility to any player who has signed an NBA contract. This includes a two-way contract, which Flowers has signed. Nnaji was drafted with the No. 31 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, but never signed an NBA contract, nor appeared in an NBA/G-League game.
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“The NCAA 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),” Baker wrote in the statement. “As schools are increasingly recruiting individuals with international league experience, the NCAA is exercising discretion in applying the actual and necessary expenses bylaw to ensure that prospective student-athletes with experience in American basketball leagues are not at a disadvantage compared to their international counterparts.”
“Rules have long permitted schools to enroll and play individuals with no prior collegiate experience midyear. While the NCAA has prevailed on the vast majority of eligibility-related lawsuits, recent outlier decisions enjoining the NCAA on a nationwide basis from enforcing rules that have been on the books for decades — without even having a trial — are wildly destabilizing. I will be working with DI leaders in the weeks ahead to protect college basketball from these misguided attempts to destroy this American institution.”
Arkansas HC John Calipari ranted about situation Monday night
Arkansas head coach John Calipari went on an epic rant following the Razorbacks’ victory over James Madison Monday night regarding the situation.
“Well, look, I don’t blame coaches because I’ve got friends who are playing with 27 year olds and they feel bad,” Calipari said. “Don’t feel bad. We don’t have any rules. Why should you feel bad? But, let me give you this. Real simple. The rules be the rules. If you put your name in the (NBA) Draft, I don’t care if you’re from Russia. If you stay in the Draft, you can’t play college basketball. ‘Well that’s only for American kids’. What? If your name is in that Draft and you got drafted, you can’t play college basketball.”
Nnaji had been playing professional basketball with Merkezefendi Belediyesi Denizli Basket in Turkey before getting the call to join the Baylor basketball program. This situation hits especially close to home for Calipari, as star forward Enes Kanter was not cleared for Calipari’s Kentucky team for the 2010-11 season after it was revealed that he received a little more than $30,000 from Fenerbahçe (Turkey) as a member of the youth squad.
Category: General Sports
