There is an ever-growing grey area in NCAA college basketball.
The traditional norm was that once an athlete made it to the realm of the “big leagues,” whether international, the NBA G League or the NBA itself, they stayed there. As the benefits from name, image and likeness (NIL) deals grow, the line has become increasingly blurry as to who is eligible to compete in college sports. In the past year, more and more cases of former “professional” basketball players returning to the NCAA have come to light.
As the number of instances of once-professional players entering or re-entering the NCAA continues to rise, the NCAA has addressed each player’s eligibility on a case-by-case basis.
A good starting point in illustrating the NCAA eligibility controversy is with Santa Clara University’s Thierry Darlan. Growing up in the Central African Republic, Darlan began his basketball career in the NBA Academy Africa. In 2023, he was able to take his talents to the NBA G League and spent two seasons playing with G League Ignite. After those two seasons, Darlan and his agents began to explore other options to compete. The NCAA granted Darlan eligibility to play at the collegiate level, and, shortly thereafter, he joined the Santa Clara Broncos’ squad. This decision raised some eyebrows from the public. Should Darlan, as an international player, be able to compete at the amateur college level despite having played in the G-League?
The controversy has only grown since the Darlan case. Alabama Crimson Tide forward Charles Bediako, a player who signed a two-way contract with the San Antonio Spurs in 2023, sued the NCAA for initially denying his eligibility. On Jan. 21, Bediako was granted a ten-day permission to rejoin the Alabama squad, which has been extended to 20 days. Bediako is allowed to continue playing college basketball because he never actually played in an NBA game. The Bediako case raises the question of where the eligibility line gets drawn, and it certainly creates some ambiguity regarding the NBA’s involvement in all this controversy.
This question becomes even more complicated when considering the case of former UCLA Bruins guard Amari Bailey. Bailey was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets in 2023 and played ten games for them in his rookie season. He, too, has begun exploring options to be granted eligibility to join a college basketball roster. If granted eligibility, Bailey would be the first case of a former NCAA player who was featured in an NBA game to return to college basketball.
Bailey’s draft classmate in 2023, Baylor University’s James Nnaji, never took to the court in an NBA game and has spent the past five years playing overseas in the EuroLeague. Nnaji’s case is an example of how, after playing at the professional level, an athlete can still be deemed eligible to play in the NCAA if they abide by regulations outlined for international players.
Ever since NIL deals and brand partners began to gain traction in 2021, the NCAA has become a far more appealing route for amateur athletes. Many of these players who aspire to be granted eligibility are using NIL compensation to state their case.
“Had Mr. Bediako known that he would have been able to earn compensation directly from his university while remaining a student-athlete,” the complaint as part of the Bediako lawsuit against the NCAA reads, “he never would have left school to pursue financial gain elsewhere.”
This sentiment towards how NIL deals have changed the recruitment process and eligibility guidelines has not only affected the college athlete experience but also that of college coaches.
“It’s no longer college basketball,” Saint John’s University head coach Rick Pitino tweeted, “It’s professional basketball with budgets that rival the Euroleague… The G League is way below college basketball on a pay scale. Even two-way players are way below. Unfortunately, the game I’ve been in for over 40 years no longer exists.”
College basketball has always been an invaluable point of development for players hoping to play professionally, and it has served as a platform for athletes to showcase their talents to basketball fanatics and professional organizations looking to land the next big draft prospect. While these once-professional players joining the college level doesn’t entirely thwart the opportunity for amateur players to display their ability, the playing field is becoming all the more complicated. Instead of treating each new plea for eligibility on a case-by-case basis, the NCAA needs to work toward an established and refined set of eligibility regulations to preserve the decades-long tradition of genuine player-development that the league has cultivated.
