Debate over whether athletes with NBA experience are eligible for the NCAA James Nagy joins Baylor men’s basketball team.

As the list of athletes competing in the NBA G League or competing internationally and seeking to play college basketball in the United States continues to grow, several notable college basketball players Coaches have spoken out Counter trend. Rutgers men’s basketball coach Steve Pikiell is one of them, but in his criticism, he came up with a creative theory.

“No matter who’s out there, you’ve got to go after it. It’s a weird world,” Pikiell told reporters while discussing the coach not ruling out a mid-season move.

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Rutgers Scarlet Knights head coach Steve Pikiell reacts at the end of a game against the Oregon Ducks at Matthew Knight Arena on February 16, 2025 in Eugene, Oregon. (Craig Strobeck/Imagn Images)

Pikiell’s comments came shortly after Rutgers defeated Delaware State on Monday. He went on to jokingly add that he wouldn’t mind having a 36-year-old with a family on Rutgers’ roster.

“I’d like to find a 36-year-old guy with four kids who’s hungry for a job. I’d like to find one of those guys. We’ll see if one of them is available. But, yes, you have to pursue any leads you have on anybody and then you have to go through all the steps to try to make it happen. It’s very complicated.”

After NBA players enter college mid-season, John Calipari blasts NCAA: ‘We don’t have any rules’

Thierry Darlan and London Johnson both skipped the college basketball route and went directly to the now-defunct NBA G League Ignite. Both players were cleared for their respective NBA eligibility earlier this year.

Elsewhere, Baylor confirmed Nagy signed with the program just before Christmas, about 2 1/2 years after the Detroit Pistons drafted him in the second round. NBA draft. He has participated in the NBA Summer League but has yet to participate in the NBA regular season.

FC 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 the LDLC Arena in Lyon, France on April 12, 2024. (Eurasia Sports Photos/Getty Images)

Still, Nagy’s move from the EuroLeague to Baylor University for the NBA draft prompted an outcry from college coaches and others.

Arkansas men’s basketball head coach John Calipari says no one should be allowed to play games college basketball After being selected as a professional player, regardless of international status.

“It’s simple. Rules are rules, so if you put your name in (the NBA draft), I don’t care if you’re from Russia and you stay in the draft, you can’t play college basketball,” Calipari said Monday. “‘Well, that’s just for American kids.’ What? If your name comes up in the draft and you get picked, you can’t play because that’s our rule.”

A basketball with the official NCAA game ball logo is seen before the NCAA Division II national championship basketball game between the Minnesota Mavericks and the Rising Stars Southeastern Sharks at the Ford Center on March 30, 2024 in Evansville, Indiana. (Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Longtime Michigan State University men’s basketball coach Tom Izzo also weighed in on the discussion, jokingly hinting that he might ask Spartans legend Irving “Magic” Johnson and others about returning to the college hardwood.

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“Why not? I mean, it would be a shame for the NCAA if that’s what we’re going to do,” Izzo said. “Shame on the coaches, too. But shame on the NCAA, too, because I guess the coaches do what they have to do. But the NCAA is that. The people on the committees who make these decisions allowed something so ridiculous to happen without thinking about this kid.”

Gonzaga coach Mark Few seemed to take aim at the NCAA’s leadership structure, saying, “Things are crazy right now. We really don’t have any structure or any real rules right now. I think guys are just trying to do the best they can. Until there are rules saying you can’t do this, it’s hard to blame anybody for doing what they’re doing. We have a lack of leadership, and it really shows.”

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