NCAA President Charlie Baker has shut down Trentin Flowers’ college basketball opportunity
Over the past week, there has been a lot of discourse about what eligibility requirements a player must meet in order to participate in NCAA basketball. This happened after the former NBA draft pick James Nnaji signed with Baylorand amid speculation that Chicago Bulls punter Trentin Flowers could be eligible for college.
Now, NCAA President Charlie Baker has made his organization’s position is clear about who can and can’t play college basketball.
“The NCAA has not and will not approve terms for any prospective or returning student-athletes who have signed an NBA contract (including a two-way contract),” Baker said in a statement, per ESPN’s Jeff Borzel. “As schools increasingly recruit individuals with experience in international leagues, the NCAA uses discretion in implementing the actual and necessary cost bylaws to ensure that prospective student-athletes with experience in the US basketball leagues are not disadvantaged compared to their international counterparts.”
Recent updates to the NIL rules and other eligibility requirements have opened up a broader discussion about college basketball and college sports as a whole, and who should and should not be allowed to participate at that level.
“While the NCAA has prevailed in the vast majority of eligibility lawsuits, the recent emergency decisions ordering the NCAA to enforce on a national basis rules that have been on the books for decades — without even a trial — are wildly destabilizing. I will work with DI leaders in the weeks ahead to try to destroy this American football institution,” Baker’s statement continued.
Flowers doesn’t appear to be signing with a college program anytime soon.
2025-12-30 22:08:00
