The NCAA seems prepared to crack down on international recruits with professional experience, which would directly impact the Huskies
For the last two seasons, the Washington Huskies men's basketball team has had to nearly completely re-tool the roster.
Entering the 2025-26 season, there were only two players on the roster, guard Zoom Diallo and center Franck Kepnang, who were with the team the previous season. Both Diallo and Kepnang entered the transfer portal this offseason and joined the Kentucky Wildcats.
This offseason, due to various players leaving the program via the portal or running out of eligibility, the Huskies had six returners and needed to find nine replacements on the roster.
Over the last two seasons, Washington head coach Danny Sprinkle and the rest of the staff have looked internationally to fill several spots on the roster.
Last season, the Huskies landed forwards Hannes Steinbach (Germany) and Nikola Dzepina (Serbia). Steinbach is currently prepping for the 2026 NBA Draft after leading the team in scoring and rebounding last season and Dzepina is returning to the team for next season.
This offseason, the Huskies landed commitments from 20-year-old Australian guard Tristan Devers and 21-year-old Brazilian power forward Wini Braga. The latter of the two is still mulling whether to follow through on his commitment or return to playing professional basketball in Brazil.
However, a new NCAA rule/guidance could affect whether or not Washington will be able to continue to explore recruiting in international territories, and if those players will be eligible to play college basketball at all.
According to a report from Kevin Sweeney for Sports Illustrated, the NCAA issued a guidance May 8.
In that guidance, the NCAA says any players who "entered an agreement with, competed on or received compensation from a team that participates in a league with minimum compensation that exceeds actual and necessary expenses" will not have college eligibility reinstated, per an excerpt from Sweeney's report.
An NCAA spokesperson said in the article that the NCAA is also including several international leagues under that description and failure to follow the guidance could constitute a rule violation, which would result in loss or failure to grant eligibility.
The NCAA identified several domestic leagues and associations that fit under that banner, including the NBA, WNBA, MLB and NFL. However, several international leagues, such as the EuroLeague, also fall under that umbrella. The EuroLeague has a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with a minimum salary of 50,000 euros.
The earning of "above necessary expenses" is vague enough that Braga and Devers could be two players who are affected.
Devers competed for the Brisbane Bullets in Australia's National Basketball League (NBL), which also operates under a CBA. Players under development deals, like Devers started at, get paid $24,070 Australian.
Braga competed for Minas in Novo Basquete Brasil (NBB). The NBB doesn't have a CBA or have a formally agreed upon minimum salary. However, top players reportedly are paid 80,000 Brazilian Real, which equates to roughly $16,000 USD, according to information provided by netshoes.com.br.
Dzepina could also be impacted by the rule change. He was promoted to Valencia Basket before joining UW, which participates in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague.
It's still unclear when this rule would go into effect and when and how enforcement would be implemented. If the rule is enforced as described, Washington and other college programs could be left scrambling due to several players being deemed ineligible.
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