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Tom Izzo didn’t hold back when asked about Baylor’s newest addition, and honestly, it was kind of wild to hear.

The longtime Michigan State head coach was asked about Baylor signing James Nnaji, the 7-foot center who was the 31st pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, and he didn’t even pretend to be cool with it. “I’m a little surprised,” Izzo said. “I’ve gotta call in to Scott. I’m anxious to see what he tells me. If we’re dipping into guys who were drafted to the NBA… shame on the NCAA. And shame on the coaches, too.”

Tom Izzo on James Nnaji enrolling at Baylor:

“I’m a little surprised. I’ve got a call in to Scott (Drew). I’m anxious to see what he tells me. If we’re dipping into guys who were drafted to the NBA… shame on the NCAA. And shame on the coaches, too” 😳pic.twitter.com/5nyS4jp1sC

— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) December 27, 2025

That’s not subtle. That’s not off the cuff. That’s a Hall of Fame coach taking direct aim at Scott Drew and the whole setup that allowed this to happen.

Look, it’s definitely a weird situation. Nnaji isn’t a guy who flirted with the draft and came back to school. He got drafted. He got traded. He was fully in the NBA pipeline and played for Barcelona, one of the biggest clubs in Europe. Now he’s on Baylor’s roster, eligible, and ready to play Big 12 basketball like nothing happened.

So yeah, Izzo has every right to ask what the hell is going on. But the thing is, this isn’t a Scott Drew problem. This is a college basketball problem. The rules are loose, NIL is wide open, and there’s no one really checking anything as long as the paperwork lines up. Drew saw a loophole and walked right through it.

James Nnaji Background

Nnaji is a former Detroit Pistons second-round pick and is immediately eligible to play for the Bears. Nnaji went 31st overall in the 2023 NBA Draft, with his rights going to the Charlotte Hornets as part of a trade. His rights were traded to the New York Knicks in 2024. However, Nnaji never signed an NBA contract, and instead has been playing in Europe, most recently with Yukatel Merkezefendi in Turkey on loan from Spain’s FC Barcelona. He averaged 7.5 and 4.0 rebounds with Yukatel Merkezefendi. Most recently, he played with the Knicks in the 2025 Summer League.

Nnaji was listed at 6-feet-11 and 226 pounds when he was drafted as an 18-year-old, and Givony lists him as 7-feet and 251 pounds with a 7-7 wingspan currently.

You don’t have to like it. A lot of people probably won’t, but if you’re a Baylor fan, you’re loving every second of this. And if you’re another coach trying to compete at the top of the sport, you’d be crazy not to start asking how you can do the same thing.

Izzo can call it shameful, but the real shame is the NCAA not being ready for what this sport has become. There are no rules anymore, just vibes, money, and paperwork.

Meanwhile, Baylor just added a 7-footer with NBA tools for the stretch run. Good luck stopping that.