Talented center James Nnaji has dominated the headlines in college basketball after committing to the Baylor Bears despite being drafted into the NBA in 2023. Nnaji made his debut for the Bears in a 69-63 loss to the TCU Horned Frogs during their Big 12 opener on Saturday.
Why Did an ESPN Analyst Blast Coaches Over James Nnaji Criticism?
Nnaji tallied five points and four rebounds in the game, during which he was soundly booed by the TCU fans whenever he touched the ball.
In a clip posted on X on Monday, veteran ESPN analyst Jay Bilas blasted college basketball coaches who were against Nnaji playing for Baylor, calling out their selective bias in the matter.
“A lot of coaches have come out saying, ‘This is not a good thing.’ One thing I think the coaches are missing out, I think they just don’t know the rules. This is not unusual and the NCAA rules allow it. If James Nnaji had signed an NBA contract, that would be different. You can play professional basketball, both in the U. S and overseas.
“As long as the money you take is essentially your expenses. If you don’t want a player that has played professionally, then don’t recruit them. What I find contradictory is, coaches will talk about loyalty, but the coaches and administrators remain silent when football coaches will leave their teams in the playoff and nobody’s talking about loyalty.”
Nnaji was selected No. 31 overall in the 2023 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons before being traded to the Charlotte Hornets and later to the New York Knicks in a move that sent Karl-Anthony Towns to the Big Apple. Nnaji never played in the NBA and has been playing in the Euro League for various teams, including FC Barcelona.
Scott Drew Defends Nnaji’s Controversial Move
During his postgame news conference on Saturday, Baylor coach Scott Drew passionately defended Nnaji’s right to play college basketball despite the widespread criticism that the move evoked.
“James did nothing wrong,” Drew said. “Baylor did nothing wrong, and I know he’s human and just making sure he doesn’t feel that. If James was an NBA player today, he would be in the NBA. James is a great young man. Grew up playing piano in the church. Mom’s most excited about his opportunity to get a degree.
“Brother’s a mechanical engineer. Sister’s trying to get a master’s. I thought he did a great job in a short period of time. He hadn’t played a competitive game in seven months, been recovering from an injury.”
Nnaji will likely continue to elicit mixed reactions from opposition fans and coaches as the season progresses for the Bears and the college basketball landscape continues to evolve.
