Scott Drew addresses if James Nnaji could play for Baylor in Big 12 opener vs. TCU

James Nnaji has arrived in Waco in preparation to join the Baylor men’s basketball team. The former No. 31 overall prick in the 2023 NBA Draft could be set to make his college debut in the near future.

Could he be ready in time for the Bears’ Big 12 Conference opener against TCU on Saturday? Nnaji needs to pass his physical, so head coach Scott Drew isn’t ready to announce him ready for this weekend’s matchup.

“(We’re) still working on that,” Drew said after Baylor’s blowout win over Arlington Baptist. “Usually they always take a day or two (to reveal the results). Barring anything else, we’ll have him in practice pretty soon.”

His signing was announced on Christmas Eve, and comes after he spent two years on the NBA circuit. He never played in an actual NBA game, but was drafted by the Detroit Pistons and had his rights traded to the Charlotte Hornets and eventually the New York Knicks. Nnaji came to the NBA after playing for the FC Barcelona organization since 2020.

Nnaji’s pending arrival to college basketball has caused quite the stir among coaches, media and fans. Never before has a draft pick, who has NBA Summer League experience, gone back to play college basketball. Tom Izzo has been the most outspoken of these coaches, casting shame on the NCAA for allowing this to happen.

Notably, Santa Clara‘s Thierry Darlan and Louisville‘s London Johnson, two former undrafted G League players, have already made their commitments to their respective programs before the season began. On the women’s side, Kansas State‘s Nastja Claessens was allowed to play despite being the 30th pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft.

Drew said that early on when news came out that former G League players were becoming eligible to play college basketball, he wasn’t in favor of it at the time. Still, head coaches have to adapt to the current landscape, and Drew is looking to put his program in the best position to be successful, “because that’s what we get paid to do.”

In the end, Baylor needed help at the position and he filled it within the rules. “I just know they told us he can play, so I’m happy,” Drew said.

When he can play, may be a different story. From what it sounds like, Drew expects Nnaji to suit up very soon for Baylor.