Autry blasts NCAA teams trying to sign NBA G Leaguers: ‘It’s confusing’
At Monday’s ACC Coaches Call, Adrian Autry spoke about the controversy of NCAA teams signing NBA G-League players, saying it’s bad for the sport. Matthew Crisafulli | Contributing Photographer
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The wild, wild West that is collegiate athletics has taken a dark twist, as NCAA basketball programs are negotiating with and signing players who have NBA G League contracts. Syracuse head coach Adrian Autry said that trend is bad for the sport.
It all started on Christmas Eve, when center James Nnaji — the 31st overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft — was cleared by the NCAA to sign with Baylor with four years of collegiate eligibility intact. Nnaji, a 7-foot Nigeria native, had played in the NBA Summer League in 2023 and in Europe over the last two seasons. Despite being involved in the New York Knicks’ trade for Karl Anthony Towns in the summer of 2024, Nnaji never suited up for a regular-season game.
Now, he’s back in college, making his debut on Saturday against TCU to an outpouring of boos. Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo was outspoken against Baylor’s decision to bring Nnaji onto its roster, saying he was going to call Bears head coach Scott Drew to ask for an explanation. Speaking to Autry at Monday’s Atlantic Coast Conference Coaches Call, he held similar contempt as Izzo.
“You know, I think it’s confusing,” Autry said. “I’m just not fond of it, to be honest. It’s something that I see as taking opportunities away from high school kids going to college. And I think it takes some opportunities from guys who are in the college system.”
It’s also safe to say Syracuse won’t be bringing back Judah Mintz any time soon.
“We haven’t been a part of that,” Autry bluntly stated about potentially signing G League players.
In an era where college athletic departments constantly bend the rules in order to benefit their teams’ performance, it’s noteworthy of Autry to critique other programs for signing players like Nnaji.
There have been other examples, like Thierry Darlan, who spent two seasons in the G League from 2023-25, then was granted collegiate eligibility by Santa Clara of the West Coast Conference. That flew under the radar, but a former NBA Draft pick in Nnaji set off the alarms.
Interestingly enough, California head coach Mark Madsen said on the same Monday ACC Coaches Call that he thinks it’s a good idea for G Leaguers to gain collegiate eligibility. Madsen said it could improve the gameplay in lower levels of college basketball and increase competition across the sport.
Based on Autry and Izzo’s disdain for it, among other coaches across the country, Madsen’s opinion might be a tough one to sell. NCAA President Charlie Baker said in a Dec. 30 statement the NCAA will not grant eligibility to prospective student-athletes who’ve signed an NBA contract, including two-way deals.
“I will be working with (Division I) leaders in the weeks ahead to protect college basketball from these misguided attempts to destroy this American institution,” Baker wrote on X.
