Kansas' Bill Self Reveals Thoughts on Eligibility Rule That Benefited Baylor

What makes a player eligible in the NCAA nowadays? That is the question everyone is trying to answer.

Fans around the country were left stunned when 2023 NBA second-round draft pick James Nnaji pledged to Baylor in late December, becoming the first player to ever hear his name called on draft night and later receive collegiate eligibility.

Rules like this have created widespread confusion throughout the sport, especially amid the rise of NIL and the transfer portal in the current decade. In an interview on Monday, Kansas head coach Bill Self shared his thoughts on the NCAA's eligibility rules and indirectly referenced the situation surrounding Nnaji.

"First of all, I think it’s a ridiculous rule that you can do it," Self said. "There have been so many things that the NCAA has come up with in past years that didn't play out to be actually true. It wasn't that long ago that no two-time transfers would be able to play immediately."

"So, we don’t recruit two-time transfers, and (after) one lawsuit there's a blanket waiver that they're all eligible. So instead of recruiting them, we played against them. The bottom line is it's a bad rule," he continued.

"Guys can leave college or do whatever, go play professionally and then come back to college if they fall within their (five-year) window. I think that is a ridiculous rule, but we allow them to do it from Europe, so why wouldn't you allow them to do it from the U.S.?"

Self also noted that he does not blame Baylor head coach Scott Drew for taking advantage of these loopholes, instead placing the blame on the NCAA's decision-makers who allow such rulings to occur.

"My deal is, whatever the rules are, that's the rules," Self said. "I think it's very hard to be critical of somebody operating within the rules. I'd be more critical of the rules makers. Coaches can get mad, but I don’t think the frustration should be with other coaches. I think the frustration should be with what the rules actually are."

Self is not the only coach who has spoken out about these changes in recent days, as Arkansas head coach John Calipari went on a tirade during a media appearance earlier this week when he voiced his concerns about the current state of the NCAA. Additionally, legendary Michigan State coach Tom Izzo called the situation an "absolute travesty," referring specifically to Nnaji's eligibility being granted.

It remains to be seen whether the NCAA will make any significant changes now that so many prominent voices are expressing frustration with how things are operating. They have already ruled out the possibility of players who have appeared in NBA games being granted collegiate eligibility, a rumor that surfaced when Chicago Bulls forward Trentyn Flowers was reportedly exploring eligibility despite having played professionally.

Self was careful with his wording, which makes sense considering Drew coaches in the same conference and has long been one of his biggest competitors. Still, it is clear that he is not particularly fond of how these rules are being enforced.

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