Baylor forward James Nnaji, who was drafted with the No. 31 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, made his college basketball debut over the weekend.
The 21-year-old, who has been playing professionally overseas, had 5 points and 4 rebounds off the bench for Baylor in a 69-63 loss to TCU.
Ahead of the matchup, former Indiana coach Tom Crean reacted to the fact that James Nnaji was joining the Baylor program in the middle of the season after being an NBA Draft pick and playing professionally.
"Now this is truly crazy,“ Tom Crean posted on X. ”He was drafted, signed and played in [the] NBA Summer League with the New York Knicks.
“He’s also a tremendous upside talent who’s got ridiculous quickness, burst and upside. This is not your typical non drafted G League player that’s been signing.”
Tom Crean is far from the only person who feels this way. College coaches across the country have voiced their displeasure with Nnaji suddenly being eligible to play for Baylor.
In addition, legendary broadcaster Dick Vitale responded to Crean and expressed his disapproval of the move.
"This is not a good move for college hoops," Vitale said. “I agree with many coaches that there is zero leadership in college sports.”
It will be interesting to see how the NCAA handles these situations moving forward and if other ex-NBA Draft picks will start playing college hoops.