Baylor shook up the men's college basketball world by signing former NBA draft pick James Nnaji, a move widely criticized among other coaches.
Nnaji is a 7-foot center from Makurdi, Nigeria who originally played for FC Barcelona. In 2023, he was selected 31st in the 2023 NBA draft as the first pick of the second round by the Pistons. In two separate trades, his rights ended up going to Charlotte and then to the Knicks as part of the trade that saw Karl-Anthony Towns head to New York.
Nnaji never played an NBA game or signed an NBA contract but did play in the 2023 NBA Summer League. The 21-year-old is within the NCAA-mandated five-year window of what would be his high school graduation for eligibility purposes.
His case is similar to Nastja Claessens, who was selected 30th in the 2024 WNBA draft by Washington. Also 21 years old, Claessens joined Kansas State at the start of the season and had no college experience prior to doing so.
Both Nnaji and Claessens followed the traditional path of playing overseas basketball and receiving eligibility. The major difference is their draft selection.
Following a non-Southeastern Conference game, Arkansas head coach John Calipari bemoaned what the decision meant for the current American high school class.
"Does anybody care what this is doing for 17- and 18-year-old American kids? Do you know what this opportunity has done for them and their families? There aren't going to be any high school kids," Calipari said. "Who other than dumb people like me are going to recruit high school kids?"
Tennessee has taken advantage of signing foreign talent to its roster. This year, it comes from Ethan Burg, who joins after playing professionally in Israel.
Seeing these rulings, Trentyn Flowers has reportedly looked into eligibility. The 20-year-old from Maryland committed to Louisville but changed his mind, choosing to spend his mandatory year before NBA consideration in Australia instead. The undrafted free agent signed with the Clippers and played six games last year. He has since been waived and signed with Chicago, where he is currently on the team's G League roster.
In a social media statement, NCAA president and former Massachusetts governor Charlie Baker stated that the NCAA would not give eligibility to any player who signed an NBA one-way or two-way contract.
"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," Baker wrote. "Rules have long permitted schools to enroll and play individuals with no prior collegiate experience midyear."
Purdue coach Matt Painter thought the NCAA rules are unclear.
"Give us the rules and we'll abide by them," Painter said. "The rules aren't for the people who cheat, they're for people that abide by them.
"We've got a governing body right now that they don't know whether they're on foot or horseback. We've got to get some rules so that we can abide by them and go forward and just have some common ground."
With the NCAA often losing court cases, it's possible that a judge could force Baker's organization into allowing players into college sports. Players like Flowers, and even more seasoned pros, could end up in NCAA games.
Women's basketball could also be shaken up if NBA players are allowed in. Could pros play the WNBA season over the summer and then play college basketball in the winter, similar to the roles overseas leagues and Unrivaled play now?
Either way, the NCAA has a decision to make for the future of eligibility. While it likely needs an antitrust exemption in order to return to its traditional, strict eligibility requirements, college sports are now in a transition. That transition could see NBA players enter the sport.