James Nnaji, a 2023 NBA Draft pick, was allowed by the NCAA to commit to Baylor to play the second half of this season — an unprecedented move that shocked many in the basketball world.
Among those confused by Nnaji’s commitment was Arkansas head coach John Calipari, who didn’t mince his words when discussing the state of college basketball following the Razorbacks’ 103-74 win over James Madison on Monday.
Calipari, who won a national championship during his time coaching at Kentucky, went almost seven minutes during his post-game press conference talking about today’s game after a reporter asked his thoughts on the Nnaji move.
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“I’ve got friends that are playing with 27-year-olds, and they feel bad, and I said, ‘Don’t feel bad. We don’t have any rules. Why should you feel bad?'” Calipari said, per Awful Announcing. “But let me give you this. Real simple: the rules bees the rules. So, if you put your name in the draft, I don’t care if you’re from Russia and you stay in the draft, you can’t play college basketball. ‘Well, that’s only for American kids.’ What? If your name is in that draft, and you got drafted, you can’t play college because that’s our rule. ‘Yeah, but that’s only for American kids.’ OK. OK.”
Nnaji may have started a trend that Calipari, and likely others, won’t like to see if it comes to fruition.
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Trentyn Flowers, who is currently on a two-way contract with the Chicago Bulls after going undrafted in 2024, is reportedly drawing interest from the Michigan Wolverines. Flowers was a member of the National Basketball League as a member of the Next Stars program, playing for the Adelaide 36ers in Australia instead of going to college.
If Flowers is allowed to play anywhere in college basketball this season, the NCAA would likely face some vitriol considering it could open a vast portal of fringe NBA players looking to restart.
“Does anybody care what this is doing for 17-and 18-year-old American kids?” Calipari questioned in his monologue. “Do you know what this opportunity has done for them and their families? There aren’t gonna be any high school kids. Who, other than dumb people like me, are gonna recruit high school kids? I get so much satisfaction out of coaching young kids and seeing them grow and make it and their family’s life changes that I’m gonna keep doing it. But why would anybody else, if you can get NBA players, G-League players, guys that are 28 years old, guys from Europe — do we really know their transcript? Do we have somebody over there? Do we really know their birth certificate? Or don’t we?”
In Flowers’ case, Calipari was blunt, saying the NCAA has to stop allowing players to join programs mid-season.
While he did say that he feels selfish with his suggestions to the NCAA, Calipari also knows that there are rules that are clearly much different than anywhere else in college sports. He believes some of his suggestions, especially that of not allowing players to join programs mid-season, would benefit the game immediately.
“We can do it without having Congress and the Senate getting 60 votes,” Calipari added. “We can do that. Let them sue us on that stuff.”
Calipari’s Razorbacks are currently ranked No. 18 in the AP Top 25, with Arizona sitting at No. 1 overall with a 13-0 record. Arkansas is 10-3 on the season.
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John Calipari rips NCAA after NBA player enters college mid-season: ‘We don’t have any rules’
