Baylor men’s basketball is adding former NBA draft pick James Nnaji to its roster, and he will be immediately eligible to compete with the Bears this season, sources say.
The 21-year-old Nigerian center, selected 31st overall in the 2023 NBA Draft, enrolled at Baylor University in late December and has four years of NCAA eligibility remaining.
Nnaji’s path to college hoops is highly unusual: although drafted by the Detroit Pistons and later traded to the Charlotte Hornets and New York Knicks, he never signed an NBA contract or appeared in a regular-season NBA game. Instead, he spent time playing professionally in Europe with clubs including FC Barcelona and a Turkish team before choosing the collegiate route.
The NCAA granted him eligibility under current rules that allow players with certain professional experiences — but no NBA or G League contract — to compete in college basketball.
This move marks a rare instance of an NBA draft pick returning to the college game, reflecting evolving eligibility standards and sparking broader discussion about the future of amateur athletics.
In short:
Grew up playing basketball in Nigeria (academy and club system, not U.S. high school)
Signed with FC Barcelona’s basketball youth program
Progressed to Barça’s reserve team and then professional play in Europe
Entered the NBA Draft in 2023 without ever playing college basketball
Now enrolls at Baylor under NCAA eligibility rules because he never signed an NBA contract