Rosenberg: Should pro basketball players get the chance to play in NCAA?

It’s a Tuesday evening, and I’m sitting on my couch enjoying some iced coffee while waiting for this weather to pass.

My Tuesday evening routine is normally spent at one of my six high schools covering a basketball double-header and getting the chance after to get insight from the kids. 

But this Tuesday isn’t like any other Tuesday. I’m getting the chance to watch my Missouri Tigers men’s basketball team play – a rarity during any high school sports season that crosses over with college basketball. 

The SEC Network broadcast spent a great deal of time talking about Alabama center Charles Bediako, who returned to the Crimson Tide after spending three seasons in the NBA G League. 

Most recently, Bediako was on a two-way contract with the Detroit Pistons while only playing for their G-League affiliate, the Motor City Cruise. He never played a minute in the NBA. 

Bediako is joined by four other NCAA players who either played in the G League or overseas. 

James Nnaji was the 31st overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft to the Detroit Pistons and was traded on draft night to the Charlotte Hornets. He played overseas rather than the G League. He currently plays for Baylor. 

Thierry Darlan plays for Santa Clara but played for the now defunct NBA G League Ignite, Rip City Remix and Delaware Blue Coats of the G-League. 

Abdulla Ahmed played three seasons for the Westchester Knicks before signing with BYU in November. 

Just like Darlan, London Johnson played for Ignite instead of in college. He then played for the Maine Celtics and Cleveland Charge before signing with Louisville. 

This blurred line between these five men playing in college after forgoing collegiate eligibility and playing professional is causing a lot of uproar in the men’s college basketball world. 

Arkansas head coach John Calipari went on a tangent after the Razorbacks’ 103-74 win over James Madison on Dec. 30. 

Calipari’s main argument focused on valuing “17-and 18-year-old American kids” and how these opportunities to play college ball can change the trajectory of not only their lives but their family. 

Calipari stressed he’s going to continue to recruit high schoolers while saying, “.. .If you can get NBA players, G League players, guys that are 28 years old, guys from Europe? Do we really know their transcript? Do we have somebody over there? Do we really know their birth certificate or don’t we?”

With Nnaji being the sole NBA draft pick out of the five, that opens another can of worms about the legitimacy and rules surrounding NCAA eligibility. 

Michigan State’s Tom Izzo said, “Now we’re taking guys that were drafted in the NBA. If that’s what we’re going to do, shame on the NCAA. Shame on the coaches, too. But shame on the NCAA. Because coaches are going to do what they’ve got to do, I guess.”

And then comes the question of eligibility when transferring to a program midseason like these players. 

One example comes to mind that I saw while I was in college at Mizzou. 

Jordan Barnett transferred to Mizzou from Texas in the middle of his sophomore season. He committed to Mizzou shortly after and was denied eligibility for the second semester of his sophomore season and first semester of his junior season. 

That was prior to the immediate eligibility for a first-time transfer rule where you didn’t need to redshirt, but several players across the history of the NCAA were able to get granted immediate eligibility in his circumstance. 

Prior to this matchup in Tuscaloosa, Missouri head coach Dennis Gates was asked about Bediako. I always respected and admired Gates for his professionalism and perspectives on the current events in the basketball world. 

In a press conference, Gates said, “I support all student athletes, and I said before in the press conference I support Bediako. When you look at any athlete who pursues the opportunities that allow them simplicity to improve their skills or position in life in general, sometimes the normal student tries to enter the workplace and then that student wants to reset or even come back to college, and that’s OK, too. …Until we have a collective bargaining, until we have the things that allow student athletes to successfully monetize, it’s gonna be what it is. There’s gonna be confusion, and sometimes that confusion is gonna be bigger than what it seems. I want to be very clear, though. I support freedom of movement for all athletes within college athletics through mechanisms like the transfer portal and otherwise between college and professional. G-League, FIBA, NBA and beyond.”

Although I don’t agree with Gates allowing fluidity with players who played a single second in the NBA to play in college, I agree with him acknowledging the freedom to come back. 

So here we are again in the second half of the Mizzou-Alabama game where they’re talking about Bediako returning to college after playing in the G League. 

Richard Hendrix brought up my exact opinion. These guys who went undrafted should have the opportunity to go back and play in college. He acknowledged how Bediako’s situation is unique. 

This whole debate reminds me of baseball. Sure, baseball has a lot more prospects, and you can get drafted out of high school or after three seasons in college. Yes, you can return to college or forgo your draft position if you don’t like it, and you can’t do that in the NBA. 

The MLB prospect pool is a lot more expansive than the NBA pool with more teams and development levels to start at. 

But if a NCAA basketball player, who has remaining eligibility, goes undrafted, he should get the opportunity to return to college even if they played in the G League. 

Yes, they’ve played against professionals, but they never played a minute in the NBA. Even if they’re signed to a two-way contract, if they haven’t gotten the call up, they should be allowed to come back to college. But this should not come at the expense of high school prospects. 

If these G League players choose to come back and finish their eligibility, the rules should explicitly state they cannot become eligible midseason. Circumstances do change, but if other in-season transfers between colleges can’t get granted eligibility for midseason transfers, neither should these guys. 

Until more evidence comes to light with court cases and opinions from the NCAA and experts, my stance is firm. Professional players should play in college albeit with the standards as high schoolers and current college players. 

Players like Nnanji who were drafted should be barred from going back and playing in college. Players like Ahmed, Bediako, Darlan and Johnson should have the freedom to come back to college. If you went undrafted, you should be free to go the college route. 

We’re in an everchanging landscape in college sports. NIL, the transfer portal and opportunities outside of college are spreading like wildfire. These athletes’ eyes are widened, and blinders are often put on. 

Everyone needs to make the right decisions for themselves. Some don’t realize it until grinding in the G League and realizing their development will progress better in college. 

After this season, the NCAA needs to take a nice, long look at eligibility as a whole. No one will be happy with whatever result it decides on. But whether it decides professionals can play or not, fans will still tune into the games and rant on social media like normal. 

– Lauren Rosenberg is Marshall News Messenger sports editor. Email: lauren.rosenberg@marshallnewsmessenger.com .