"A 21-year-old Nigerian, James Nnaji, a basketball player who came up through the Barcelona youth system and was selected 31st overall in the 2023 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons, is now at the center of an unprecedented move that has once again opened a Pandora's box in college basketball. Baylor University, one of the most successful programs in recent years, has just added the 7-foot center mid-season. It will be the first time a professional player drafted by an NBA franchise, where he has yet to play, has been part of a college roster, a decision that has sparked controversy in a league that until recently was considered strictly amateur."
"With three of our guys injured, we knew we needed to add someone this semester. Every coach tries to add the best player available to their team, someone who fits in. James is an exceptional young man, who grew up in the church, a kid with tremendous potential who was drafted high in the NBA Draft. Now we just have to see if his game can live up to expectations,"
"Nnaji landed on Sunday in Waco, a city of 150,000 inhabitants in Texas and home to the Baylor Bears, the 2021 NCAA champions. On Monday, his new team played its final game before the start of the Big 12, the tournament that should open the door to March Madness. His coach expects the Nigerian to be ready to make his debut on January 3, when the crucial part of the season begins and where the center should bolster the team's eight-man rotation."
A surge of money has reshaped the NCAA, blurring the line between amateur college basketball and professional sport. James Nnaji, a 21-year-old Nigerian developed in Barcelona's youth system and selected 31st overall in the 2023 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons, has joined Baylor mid-season. The move marks the first time a player drafted by an NBA franchise but not yet played in the league has been added to a college roster, prompting debate. Nnaji arrived in Waco ahead of the Big 12 and is expected to debut January 3 to bolster Baylor's rotation amid injuries.
Read at english.elpais.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]