The line between professional and college basketball continues to blur, and BYU coach Kevin Young is taking full advantage. The Cougars recently landed a commitment from a 22-year-old center who has spent the last two seasons playing professionally in the G League.
This move, while permissible under new NCAA rules, has ignited a fierce debate among fans about the very nature of amateur athletics. Is this innovative team-building, or a step too far?
Why Is Kevin Young’s Recruitment of a Pro Player Causing a Stir?
According to a report from college basketball insider Joe Tipton, the NCAA has cleared 6-foot-10 Egyptian center Abdullah Ahmed to play for the BYU Cougars starting in the 2026-27 season. This development comes on the heels of G League guard London Johnson committing to Louisville after playing professionally for three seasons, signaling a new trend in recruiting.
Thanks to recent NCAA reforms related to NIL and revenue sharing, teams have new pathways for roster construction. They can now recruit players with professional experience, like those from the G League, as long as the athletes are still within five years of their high school graduation. Ahmed, a 22-year-old who played two seasons with the Westchester Knicks, fits this description and will have three years of college eligibility remaining.
Reports indicate that Ahmed will enroll at BYU in the second semester. He plans to sit out the remainder of the current season before officially joining the Cougars for the 2026-27 campaign. Predictably, Young’s latest move has ignited a wave of commentary on social media. Some fans argued that BYU is simply adapting to a changing system to build a competitive team capable of winning 20 games a season and consistently reaching the NCAA Tournament.
“Can’t blame Kevin Young and BYU for taking advantage of a broken system. Adapt or fall behind,” one fan said.
“Lol. Can’t blame byu for cheating when it’s technically not cheating. Why not get a 30 year old pro from the Euro leagues?,” another user added.
Meanwhile, other observers raised questions about the system itself. One fan pointed out the lack of safeguards, wondering if players should be defined as professionals, while another user asked if playing in Europe or the G League for a year uses up a full season of NCAA eligibility.
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One college basketball enthusiast even joked about a Knicks-centered outcome for Ahmed, despite him playing for a coach with experience with the Phoenix Suns and Philadelphia 76ers. Ahmed, who chose BYU over Houston, Mississippi State, Auburn, Louisville, and UCLA, played in 15 games for the Westchester Knicks last season. In those games, he averaged 4.0 points and 5.5 rebounds in 18.3 minutes per game, a slight decline from his 5.8 points and 6.9 rebounds during the 2023-24 season.
The addition of Ahmed is a significant part of BYU’s long-term strategy. The Cougars are already building their lineup for the 2026-27 season, having secured commitments from two four-star prospects during the offseason: 6-foot-8 small forward Dean Rueckert and 6-foot-2 combo guard KJ Perry. Ahmed is expected to strengthen the Cougars’ frontline as they prepare to battle conference rivals like Kansas, Oklahoma State, and Iowa State, who have also secured commitments from major prospects for future campaigns.