Legendary college basketball coach rips NCAA as NBA draft pick is allowed to play for school

College hoops coaching fable Tom Izzo didn’t clasp backmost erstwhile asked astir James Nnaji returning to Baylor aft being selected successful the NBA Draft but ne'er having played a crippled for a team.

Nnaji announced helium would instrumentality to the Bears aft a stint astatine FC Barcelona. He was selected by the Detroit Pistons successful 2023 and was traded doubly during his career. He was a portion of the commercialized that sent Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks earlier the 2024-25 season.

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Michigan State Spartans caput manager Tom Izzo protests a telephone that benefitted the Iowa Hawkeyes during the archetypal fractional astatine Jack Breslin Student Events Center connected Dec. 2, 2025. (Dale Young/Imagn Images)

But Nnaji is portion of a increasing inclination of erstwhile assemblage hoops players, with NCAA eligibility remaining, returning to schoolhouse pursuing stints successful the G League oregon elsewhere. Izzo suggested connected Saturday he’s had capable of it.

"Now we’re taking guys that were drafted successful the NBA and everything," the Michigan State men’s hoops manager said, via the Detroit Free Press. "I said it to you a period and a fractional agone – c’mon Magic (Johnson) and Gary (Harris), let’s spell baby, let’s bash it. Why not? I mean, if that’s what we’re going to (do), shame connected the NCAA. Shame connected the coaches, too. But shame connected the NCAA, due to the fact that coaches are gonna bash what they gotta do, I guess. But the NCAA is the one. Those radical connected those committees that are making those decisions to let thing truthful ridiculous and not deliberation of the kid.

James Nnaji of Barcelona takes a changeable during the 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)

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"So everybody talks astir maine reasoning of my programme oregon I’m selfish. No. Get that straight, for each of you. I’m reasoning of, what is champion for my lad if helium was successful that position? And I conscionable don’t hold with it."

Izzo maintained helium wasn’t going to combat the increasing trend, but helium besides wasn’t going to fto it walk him by without sharing his thoughts connected the issue. He maintained that if assemblage hoops is going to beryllium much similar the nonrecreational ranks, past it should spell each successful alternatively of dipping a toed oregon 2 successful those waters.

James Nnaji of FC Barcelona successful enactment during lukewarm up anterior the 2023/2024 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Play Offs lucifer 1 betwixt FC Barcelona and Olympiacos Piraeus astatine Palau Blaugrana connected April 24, 2024 successful Barcelona, Spain. (Rodolfo Molina/Euroleague Basketball)

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He expressed akin sentiments successful October erstwhile the archetypal harvest of G League players returned to school.

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