Tom Izzo rips NCAA for allowing NBA draft pick to return to school
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College basketball coaching legend Tom Izzo didn’t hold back when asked about James Nnaji returning to Baylor after being selected in the NBA Draft but never playing for a team.
Nnaji announced that he will return to the Bears after his tenure at FC Barcelona. He was drafted by the Detroit Pistons in 2023 and has been traded twice during his career. He was part of the trade that sent Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks ahead of the 2024-25 season.
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Michigan State Spartans head coach Tom Izzo protests a call that benefited the Iowa Hawkeyes in the first half at the Jack Breslin Student Activities Center on Dec. 2, 2025. (Dale Young/Imagn Images)
But Nnaji is part of a growing trend of former college basketball players who remain NCAA eligible and return to school after stints in the G League or elsewhere. Izzo said Saturday that enough was enough.
“Now we’re getting players drafted in the NBA and stuff,” the Michigan State men’s basketball coach said. Detroit Free Press. “I told you this a month and a half ago – come on, Magic (Johnson) and Gary (Harris), let’s go, baby, let’s do it. Why not? I mean, if that’s what we’re going to (do), shame on the NCAA. Shame on the coaches, too. But shame on the NCAA, too, because the coaches are going to do what they’re supposed to do, I guess. But the NCAA is one person. The people who make those decisions on these committees to allow something that ridiculous and not think about the kid.”
Barcelona’s James Nnaji takes a shot during the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season Round 34 match between LDLC Asvel Villeurbanne and FC Barcelona at LDLC Arena on April 12, 2024 in Lyon, France. (Eurasia Sports Images/Getty Images)
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“So everyone’s talking about me thinking about my schedule or being selfish. No. You all understand this clearly. I’m thinking, what would be best for my son if he were in that position? And I don’t agree with that.”
Izzo maintained that he would not fight the growing trend, but also stated that he would not let it go without sharing his thoughts on the subject. He argued that if college basketball is going to be more like the professional ranks, then it needs to be all out, rather than dipping a toe or two in those waters.
FC Barcelona’s James Nnaji in action during warm-ups before Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Play Off Game 1 between FC Barcelona and Olympiacos Piraeus at Palau Blaugrana on April 24, 2024 in Barcelona, Spain. (Rodolfo Molina/Euroleague Basketball)
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He expressed similar sentiments in October, when the first group of G League players returned to school.
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