John Calipari rips NCAA after NBA player enters college mid-season: 'We don't have any rules'

James Nnaji, a 2023 NBA Draft pick, was allowed by the NCAA to perpetrate to Baylor to play the 2nd fractional of this play — an unprecedented determination that shocked galore successful the hoops world.

Among those confused by Nnaji’s committedness was Arkansas caput manager John Calipari, who didn’t mince his words erstwhile discussing the authorities of assemblage hoops pursuing the Razorbacks’ 103-74 triumph implicit James Madison connected Monday.

Calipari, who won a nationalist title during his clip coaching astatine Kentucky, went astir 7 minutes during his post-game property league talking astir today’s crippled aft a newsman asked his thoughts connected the Nnaji move.

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Head manager John Calipari of the Arkansas Razorbacks reacts during the 2nd fractional against the Texas Tech Red Raiders astatine American Airlines Center connected Dec. 13, 2025 successful Dallas, Texas. (Sam Hodde/Getty Images)

"I’ve got friends that are playing with 27-year-olds, and they consciousness bad, and I said, ‘Don’t consciousness bad. We don’t person immoderate rules. Why should you consciousness bad?'" Calipari said, per Awful Announcing. "But fto maine springiness you this. Real simple: the rules bees the rules. So, if you enactment your sanction successful the draft, I don’t attraction if you’re from Russia and you enactment successful the draft, you can’t play assemblage basketball. ‘Well, that’s lone for American kids.’ What? If your sanction is successful that draft, and you got drafted, you can’t play assemblage due to the fact that that’s our rule. ‘Yeah, but that’s lone for American kids.’ OK. OK."

Nnaji whitethorn person started a inclination that Calipari, and apt others, won’t similar to spot if it comes to fruition.

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Trentyn Flowers, who is presently connected a two-way declaration with the Chicago Bulls aft going undrafted successful 2024, is reportedly drafting involvement from the Michigan Wolverines. Flowers was a subordinate of the National Basketball League arsenic a subordinate of the Next Stars program, playing for the Adelaide 36ers successful Australia alternatively of going to college.

If Flowers is allowed to play anyplace successful assemblage hoops this season, the NCAA would apt look immoderate vitriol considering it could unfastened a immense portal of fringe NBA players looking to restart.

Arkansas Razorbacks caput manager John Calipari looks connected aft the crippled against the Miami Hurricanes astatine Watsco Center successful Coral Gables, Florida, connected Dec. 3, 2024. (Sam Navarro/Imagn Images)

"Does anybody attraction what this is doing for 17-and 18-year-old American kids?" Calipari questioned successful his monologue. "Do you cognize what this accidental has done for them and their families? There aren’t gonna beryllium immoderate precocious schoolhouse kids. Who, different than dumb radical similar me, are gonna enlistee precocious schoolhouse kids? I get truthful overmuch restitution retired of coaching young kids and seeing them turn and marque it and their family’s beingness changes that I’m gonna support doing it. But wherefore would anybody else, if you tin get NBA players, G-League players, guys that are 28 years old, guys from Europe — bash we truly cognize their transcript? Do we person idiosyncratic implicit there? Do we truly cognize their commencement certificate? Or don’t we?"

In Flowers’ case, Calipari was blunt, saying the NCAA has to halt allowing players to articulation programs mid-season.

While helium did accidental that helium feels selfish with his suggestions to the NCAA, Calipari besides knows that determination are rules that are intelligibly overmuch antithetic than anyplace other successful assemblage sports. He believes immoderate of his suggestions, particularly that of not allowing players to articulation programs mid-season, would payment the crippled immediately.

Head manager John Calipari of the Arkansas Razorbacks watches play during the 2nd fractional against the Texas Tech Red Raiders astatine American Airlines Center connected Dec. 13, 2025 successful Dallas, Texas. (Sam Hodde/Getty Images)

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"We tin bash it without having Congress and the Senate getting 60 votes," Calipari added. "We tin bash that. Let them writer america connected that stuff."

Calipari’s Razorbacks are presently ranked No. 18 successful the AP Top 25, with Arizona sitting astatine No. 1 wide with a 13-0 record. Arkansas is 10-3 connected the season.

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