Jon Scheyer reacts to ongoing eligibility concerns in college basketball: 'A lot's screwed up right now'

Duke coach Jon Scheyer weighed in with his opinion on the recent string of eligibility rulings that have left many college basketball fans puzzled. Most recently, former Alabama big man Charles Bediako was ruled eligible to return to college basketball despite having played the past two seasons in the NBA G-League.

He is not the only such case as other such as Baylor‘s James Naji and Louisville‘s London Johnson providing similar examples. The idea of players returning to college basketball after playing at a professional level has rubbed many coaches the wrong way, and Scheyer also admitted it hasn’t sat well with him either.

“The fact that I just started being a head coach four years ago at 33, I thought I was as adaptable and flexible as a head coach as there was out there, embracing the fact that there is going to be tremendous change,” he said in a recent press conference. “You don’t need me to tell you that a lot’s screwed up right now. I’m very invested in the future of college basketball and I want to be a big part of how we can create change. Sitting up here, to tell you that there’s been three or four or even more times this year where you stop and scratch youre head and say, ‘how is that possible?’ That’s part of it, though. The biggest thing is, how can you talk about changes being made if you don’t have enforcement?”

Although NCAA rules state that college athletes who enter their names in the NBA Draft forfeit their remaining eligibility, it is court rulings that have allowed many players to circumvent those rules. This has led to frustration from leaders such as NCAA senior vice president Dan Gavitt, who released a statement on the Bediako ruling.

The changes to rules regarding name, image and likeness have led to the college sports world looking much different than it did in the past, and this is one of the many challenges coaches are facing. Jon Scheyer said he hopes to be a part of the conversation, along with other coaches, about how to move forward and do what’s best for the sport.

“I know a lot of coaches are asking for clarity,” he said. “I’m with that. I’m going to be part of the solution, though. I don’t want to be a part of the complaining. I respect and admire a lot of coaches that spoke about what you can do and the NCAA’s hands are tied. So again, I think this is really important. I’ve thought a lot about it. …I’m gonna be involved heavily to try to rally some coaches and figure out how to have a real solution. Because a lot of things that I would like to say, really can’t be done in the environment and the way this thing is set up right now.”