NCAA President Charlie Baker draws firm line on college eligibility for players with NBA contracts

The NCAA’s position connected eligibility for athletes whose inheritance includes NBA acquisition has been firmly placed nether nan microscope successful 2025.

The organization’s stance was called into mobility aft James Nnaji joined nan Baylor men’s hoops team. Nnaji’s move was compounded by reports that Trentyn Flowers, a rookie connected a two-way statement pinch nan Chicago Bulls, was allegedly pursuing NCAA eligibility.

Just up of New Year’s Eve, NCAA President Charlie Baker drew a patient statement connected assemblage eligibility for erstwhile student-athletes who summation NBA experience. 

"The NCAA has not and will not assistance eligibility to immoderate prospective aliases returning student-athletes who person signed an NBA statement (including a two-way contract)," Baker said Tuesday.

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NCAA president and erstwhile Massachusetts politician Charlie Baker is interviewed by Boston Globe Sports writer Chris Gasper astatine nan Globe Summit 2023.  (Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

"While nan NCAA has prevailed connected nan immense mostly of eligibility-related lawsuits, caller outlier decisions enjoining nan NCAA connected a nationwide ground from enforcing rules that person been connected nan books for decades — without moreover having a proceedings — are wildly destabilizing. I will beryllium moving pinch DI leaders successful nan weeks up to protect assemblage hoops from these misguided attempts to destruct this American institution."

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Baylor confirmed that Nnaji signed pinch nan programme connected Christmas Eve. The move came astir 2 and a half years aft nan Detroit Pistons selected Nnaji successful nan 2nd information of nan NBA Draft.

Nnaji has competed successful nan NBA summertime convention but has yet to look successful an NBA regular-season game. However, he does person acquisition playing astatine nan master level, having spent 5 years successful nan EuroLeague. Nnaji’s NBA authorities were included successful a three-team woody that sent his authorities to nan New York Knicks. The transaction besides moved Karl-Anthony Towns from nan Minnesota Timberwolves to nan Knicks.

The NCAA logo connected entranceway motion extracurricular nan NCAA Headquarters connected Feb. 28, 2023 successful Indianapolis, Indiana.  (Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Flowers appeared to beryllium heading to Louisville earlier agreeing to a statement successful Australia. He has appeared successful 2 NBA games this play pinch nan Bulls.

Nnaji’s collegiate eligibility received clearance past week, a move that mirrored different world players who did not antecedently enroll successful a assemblage aliases assemblage nether nan NCAA’s scope aliases look successful an NBA game.

James Nnaji of Barcelona takes a changeable during nan Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season Round 34 lucifer betwixt LDLC Asvel Villeurbanne and FC Barcelona astatine LDLC Arena connected April 12, 2024 successful Lyon, France. (Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)

There is simply a increasing database of athletes who spent clip successful nan NBA’s G League aliases competed astatine nan world level seeking to play assemblage hoops successful nan U.S. — a inclination respective salient assemblage hoops coaches person spoken retired against.

Arkansas men’s hoops caput coach John Calipari stated that nary 1 should beryllium permitted to play assemblage hoops aft being drafted into nan pros, sloppy of world status.

"Real simple. The rules beryllium nan rules, truthful if you put your sanction successful nan [NBA draft], I don't attraction if you're from Russia and you enactment successful nan draft, you can't play assemblage basketball," Arkansas coach John Calipari said successful a wide-ranging rant connected nan authorities of assemblage hoops Monday night. "'Well, that's only for American kids.' What? If your sanction is successful that draught and you sewage drafted, you can't play because that's our rule."

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Gonzaga coach Mark Few appeared to return purpose astatine nan NCAA's activity building saying: "It's chaotic retired location correct now. We really don't person immoderate organizational aliases immoderate existent rules correct now. I deliberation guys are conscionable trying to do immoderate they can. Until there's a norm that says you can't do it, it's difficult to blasted anybody for doing what they're doing. Our deficiency of activity has really shown."

It remains unclear whether nan NCAA’s amateurism rules, arsenic reiterated by Baker, will beryllium challenged successful court.

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