Baylor’s basketball program just landed a 7-foot center with some serious NBA pedigree. James Nnaji officially committed to the Bears for the second half of the season, and the timing could not be better.
Sources close to the situation say the NCAA granted Nnaji four years of eligibility. After a brief stretch as a free agent, he is now heading to Waco with something to prove. His 7-foot-7 wingspan alone makes him a problem in the paint.
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Baylor gets an interior presence who has seen high-level competition and isn’t afraid of contact. Expect him to crash the glass, anchor defensive schemes, and erase shots at the rim.
Interestingly, a Summer League image of Nnaji defending Victor Wembanyama has been making the rounds online, and Bears fans are eating it up.
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“I mean this guy literally guarded Wemby in Summer League,” College Basketball Content wrote on X.
One fan commented, “Nah this is wild 😭😭😭” while another added, “Unreal.”
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Not everyone was impressed, though. One fan wrote, “Summer League is a tryout. People are getting worked up about a kid who couldn’t make a NBA roster going to play college basketball. Really?”
Fair point, but there is more to Nnaji’s story. The 21-year-old from Nigeria was drafted 31st overall by the Detroit Pistons in 2023. His rights bounced around quickly, moving to the Charlotte Hornets and then the New York Knicks in a three-team deal involving Karl-Anthony Towns.
Jul 5, 2023; Sacramento, CA, USA; Charlotte Hornets center James Nnaji (46) during the second quarter against the Golden State Warriors at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
He never signed a standard NBA contract and didn’t play a regular-season game for New York. From there, Nnaji took his game overseas to FC Barcelona, competing in Spain’s Liga ACB and the EuroLeague.
That chapter ended in August by mutual agreement. Earlier this year, he returned stateside for Summer League with the Knicks, averaging 3.2 points and 3.6 rebounds across five games.
Now he’s got a chance to rewrite his path in college basketball. Baylor’s betting on size, experience, and second chances.
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