How Did Former NBA Draft Pick James Nnaji Fare in Baylor Debut?

When former NBA draft pick James Nnaji committed to play for Scott Drew’s Baylor program, it signaled a shift in the college basketball landscape. Nnaji, the 31st pick in the 2023 NBA draft, has played in Europe since he was drafted and the Knicks currently own his draft rights.

The commitment sparked plenty of controversy, notably with Michigan State coach Tom Izzo ripping the NCAA for allowing in-season additions that take away from players already within the program. Although Nnaji hasn’t played in an NBA game, he was nearly a first-round draft pick, played in the NBA Summer League in two separate seasons and his draft rights even landed with the Knicks as part of the deal that sent star big man Karl-Anthony Towns to New York.

Nnaji is able to play college basketball after the NCAA granted eligibility to multiple former G League players last year, with Drew and Baylor taking advantage by adding the 7-foot center during the season. Drew explained the controversial signing by noting he will continue to adapt his program in the ever-changing landscape of college sports.

“When it first came out with G League players, I wasn’t in favor of that either,” the Baylor coach said Sunday. “But again, we don’t make the rules and as we find out about things, we’re always going to adapt to put our program in the best position to be successful.”

Nnaji was eligible to play immediately and saw his first action for Baylor as the Bears took on TCU Saturday.

Nnaji came off the bench and played 16 minutes in his first game on the floor for the Bears following his commitment to Baylor on Dec. 24. On the road against TCU, he scored five points while shooting 2-for-3 from the field, along with four rebounds, an assist, two turnovers and four fouls.

One of his makes was a ferocious putback dunk with numerous Horned Frogs defenders surrounding him.

Baylor fell 69-63 to TCU in its Big 12 opener, dropping the Bears to 10-3 on the season ahead of their next contest against No. 3 Iowa State Wednesday. The former NBA draft pick didn’t dominate by any means during his collegiate debut, but he made an impact off the bench for the Bears mere days after his signing. We’ll see how his role grows over the rest of the season as he continues to get acclimated at Baylor.

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