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James Nnaji, a 2023 NBA draft pick, has been cleared by the NCAA to commit to Baylor to play the second half of this season — an unprecedented move that shocked many in the basketball world.
Among those who were taken aback by Nnaji’s commitment was Arkansas head coach John Calipari, who minced no words when discussing the state of college basketball following the Razorbacks’ 103-74 victory over James Madison on Monday.
Calipari, who won a national championship while coaching at Kentucky, spent nearly seven minutes in his postgame press conference talking about today’s game after a reporter asked him what he thought about the Nnaji transfer.
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Head coach John Calipari of the Arkansas Razorbacks reacts during the second half against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at the American Airlines Center on December 13, 2025 in Dallas, Texas. (Sam Hodde/Getty Images)
“I have friends who play with 27-year-olds and they feel bad, and I said, ‘Don’t feel bad. We don’t have any rules. Why should you feel bad?” Calipari said, according to Awful Announcing. “But let me tell you this. It’s very simple: the rules are the rules. So if you put your name in the draft, I don’t care if you’re from Russia and you stay in the draft, you can’t play college basketball. “Well, it’s only for American kids.” What ? If your name is in this draft and you were drafted, you can’t play in college because that’s our rule. “Yeah, but it’s only for American kids.” ” All right. All right.”
Nnaji may have started a trend that Calipari, and likely others, won’t like to see if it comes to fruition.
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Trentyn Flowers, who is currently under a two-way contract with the Chicago Bulls after going undrafted in 2024, is reportedly drawing interest from the Michigan Wolverines. Flowers was in the National Basketball League as a member of the Next Stars program, playing for the Adelaide 36ers in Australia instead of going to college.
If Flowers is allowed to play anywhere in college basketball this season, the NCAA would likely face vitriol given that it could open a wide portal of fringe NBA players looking to restart.
Arkansas Razorbacks head coach John Calipari watches the game against the Miami Hurricanes at the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Florida on December 3, 2024. (Sam Navarro/Imagn Images)
“Does anyone care what this does to 17- and 18-year-old Americans?” Calipari questioned in his monologue. “Do you know what this opportunity has done for them and their families? There won’t be any high school kids. Who, other than stupid people like me, are going to recruit high school kids? I get so much satisfaction from coaching young kids and seeing them grow and succeed and their families’ lives, that I’m going to continue to do it. But why anyone else, if you can have NBA players, G-League players, 28-year-old guys, guys of Europe – do we really know their transcription? Do we really know their birth certificate or not?
In Flowers’ case, Calipari was blunt, saying the NCAA needs to stop allowing players to join programs midseason.
Although he said he felt selfish with his suggestions to the NCAA, Calipari also knows there are rules that are clearly very different from those elsewhere in college sports. He believes some of his suggestions, including not allowing players to join programs mid-season, would immediately benefit the game.
Head coach John Calipari of the Arkansas Razorbacks watches play during the second half against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at the American Airlines Center on December 13, 2025 in Dallas, Texas. (Sam Hodde/Getty Images)
“We can do this without Congress and the Senate getting 60 votes,” Calipari added. “We can do this. Let them sue us for this sort of thing.”
Calipari’s Razorbacks are currently ranked No. 18 in the AP Top 25, with Arizona sitting at No. 1 overall with a 13-0 record. Arkansas is 10-3 this season.
