Tom Izzo never shies away from sharing his opinion. This situation, especially, was no different.
The college basketball scene has been shaken up again. Programs have been pretty willing to test the limits on which players are eligible or not by bringing over former professional players from Europe.
Jul 5, 2023; Sacramento, CA, USA; Charlotte Hornets center James Nnaji (46) during the second quarter against the Golden State Warriors at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Baylor recently took it another step forward by signing James Nnaji on Christmas Eve. Nnaji was the 31st overall draft pick in the 2023 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons (his rights are currently owned by the New York Knicks). He never officially signed, though, and is now opting to go the college route during the middle of this current season at 21 years old. He will also receive all four years of eligibility.
This is the first instance of a former NBA draft pick deciding to play college basketball not only after the fact, but a few years after the fact. It opens up several possibilities that Michigan State’s Izzo probably doesn’t want to see in the sport.
What Izzo Said
Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo looks on from the sideline during the Spartans’ game against Colgate on Nov. 3, 2025. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI
“I asked Coen [Carr], would you be OK if I went and got Miles [Bridges], brought him back, and sat you?” Izzo said. “You laugh, but that’s what we’re doing. Somebody’s sitting. Somebody’s not playing. I just don’t think that’s fair to the players.”
The concept of somebody who has played in actual NBA games, then playing collegiately, sounds ridiculous, but it’s not that far off. The NBA is not the only professional basketball league in the world. If someone can play in the EuroLeague and then go play for Baylor, why can’t someone who is out of the NBA who didn’t play four years in college come back?
Dec 31, 2017; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Tom Izzo talks to Michigan State Spartans guard Miles Bridges (22) during the second half of a game against the Savannah State Tigers at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. | Mike Carter-Imagn Images
Something that could happen is NBA teams “drafting and stashing” college players, which means they pick a player and hope they develop within a few years elsewhere. They’ve already done it now with players in Europe, and now the NCAA has officially declared that being an NBA draft pick doesn’t make you ineligible to play in college hoops. That’s how it is with college hockey, too; MSU’s hockey roster is loaded with players who have been picked by NHL teams.
“Come on, Magic [Johnson] and Gary [Harris],” Izzo joked. “Let’s go, baby. Let’s do it. Why not? If that’s what we’re going through, shame on the NCAA. Shame on the coaches, too, but shame on the NCAA, because coaches are gonna do what they’ve gotta do.”
One of the other things that seemed to enrage Izzo about the recent turn of events is how obvious it is that people don’t want college basketball to become this way. He estimated that only about 5% of current college basketball coaches would be in favor of what’s going on right now with Nnaji.
“What we’ve done in the NCAA has been an absolute travesty to me,” Izzo said. “We’re just worried about getting sued, and we’re not going to fight anybody. I think leadership means you fight and you make decisions that are sometimes unpopular. We’ve made them popular for a certain segment of people, which seems like the young kids.”
Dec 13, 2025; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Tom Izzo reacts from the bench during the first half against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Bryce Jordan Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O’Haren-Imagn Images | Matthew O’Haren-Imagn Images
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