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The NCAA’s position on the eligibility of athletes whose background includes NBA experience has been put firmly under the microscope in 2025.
The organization’s stance was questioned after James Nnaji joined the Baylor men’s basketball team. Nnaji’s move was compounded by reports that Trentyn Flowers, a rookie on a two-way contract with the Chicago Bulls, was reportedly seeking NCAA eligibility.
Just before New Year’s Eve, NCAA President Charlie Baker drew a firm line on college eligibility for former student-athletes who gain NBA experience.
“The NCAA has not and will not grant eligibility to any prospective or returning student-athlete who has signed an NBA contract (including a two-way contract),” Baker said Tuesday.
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NCAA President and former Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker is interviewed by Boston Globe Sports reporter Chris Gasper at the 2023 Globe Summit. (Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
“While the NCAA has prevailed in the vast majority of lawsuits related to eligibility, the recent outlier decisions prohibiting the NCAA on a national level from enforcing rules that have been on the books for decades, without ever having a trial, are tremendously destabilizing. I will work with DI leaders in the coming weeks to protect college basketball from these misguided attempts to destroy this American institution.”
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Baylor confirmed that Nnaji signed with the program on Christmas Eve. The move came about two and a half years after the Detroit Pistons selected Nnaji in the second round of the NBA Draft.
Nnaji has competed in the NBA summer league but has yet to appear in an NBA regular season game. However, he does have experience playing at the professional level, having spent five years in the EuroLeague. Nnaji’s NBA rights were included in a three-team deal that sent his rights to the New York Knicks. The transaction also moved Karl-Anthony Towns from the Minnesota Timberwolves to the Knicks.
The NCAA logo on the entrance sign outside of NCAA Headquarters on February 28, 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
Meanwhile, Flowers appeared headed to Louisville before signing a contract in Australia. He has appeared in two NBA games this season with the Bulls.
Nnaji’s college eligibility was cleared last week, a move that mirrors that of other international players who have not previously enrolled at a college or university under the NCAA’s purview or appeared in an NBA game.
James Nnaji of Barcelona takes a shot during the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season Round 34 match between LDLC Asvel Villeurbanne and FC Barcelona at LDLC Arena on April 12, 2024 in Lyon, France. (Eurasia Sports Images/Getty Images)
There is a growing list of athletes who spent time in the NBA’s G League or competed internationally and are looking to play college basketball in the U.S., a trend that several prominent college basketball coaches have weighed in on.
Arkansas men’s basketball head coach John Calipari stated that no one should be allowed to play college basketball after being drafted as a professional, regardless of their international status.
“Very simple. Rules are rules, so if you put your name on the [NBA draft]”I don’t care if you’re from Russia and you stay in the draft, you can’t play college basketball,” Arkansas coach John Calipari said in a wide-ranging rant about the state of college basketball Monday night. “‘Well, that’s just for American kids.’ What? If your name is in that draft and you were selected, you can’t play because that’s our rule.”
Gonzaga coach Mark Few seemed to take aim at the NCAA’s leadership structure, saying, “It’s crazy right now. We don’t really have any real organization or rules right now. I think guys are just trying to do everything they can. Until there’s a rule that says you can’t do it, it’s hard to blame anyone for doing what they’re doing. Our lack of leadership has really shown itself.”
It is not yet clear whether the NCAA’s amateurism rules, as Baker reiterated, will be challenged in court.
