Baylor’s Drew Responds to Izzo’s Comments on NBA Draft Addition
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Tom Izzo definitely wasn't lying.
Michigan State's head coach said on Saturday that he would be calling Baylor head coach Scott Drew. Why? The Bears recently signed NBA draft pick James Nnaji to their roster as a midseason addition. Nnaji never signed an NBA deal, but sticking through the entire draft process previously meant forfeiting NCAA eligibility. He had continued to play in Europe after having been selected 31st overall in the 2023 draft.
The next day, Drew confirmed that he had spoken with Izzo, writing in a tweet on Sunday, "Thankful for a great conversation with Coach Izzo. Always value his perspective and appreciate our relationship. These are challenging moments for us all to navigate, but grateful for our shared care for our game."
Nnaji has already joined Baylor and is listed on the team's official roster online. Even though he's 21 years old, he's listed as a freshman, meaning he'll get four years of eligibility.
Drew was also asked about the conversation on Monday.
"Coach Izzo and I are friends," Drew said. "I've got a lot of respect for him. [We had a] great conversation. As he said, most coaches are 99% aligned on things that we'd like to see done with our game.
"At the same time, to my knowledge, until we get to collective bargaining, I don't think we can come up with rules that are agreeable or enforceable. Until that, I think all of us have got to be ready to adjust and adapt to what's out there. Early on, when it first came out with G League players, I wasn't in favor of that either. But again, we don't make the rules, and as we found out about things, we're always going to adapt to put our program in the position to be successful."
A Take on the Nnaji Situation
This is another unique situation where everyone seems to now be looking around and wondering what, exactly, the actual rules are anymore. It feels a bit like going further down a slippery slope.
If a draft pick can play collegiate hoops, could an actual NBA player? There are now reports of somebody who has played in actual NBA games mulling a move to the college level, that person being Trentyn Flowers of the Chicago Bulls. The NCAA probably doesn't want to open that Pandora's Box, but it feels like the box may have been opened already --- NBA players playing in college is just another thing that hasn't gotten over the box's edge just yet.
Chaos in what the rules are also puts coaches in a precarious spot. You're getting paid millions and millions of dollars to win basketball games. A fringe NBA player is almost certainly going to be a high-quality college player. If one of those guys wants to play at your program, you might be leaving victories on the table. Those wins and losses might be the difference between employment and unemployment.
Izzo will probably go after an NBA player when pigs fly, but he also has more goodwill built up with his school and fanbase than nearly every other college basketball coach in America. Baylor hasn't seen the second weekend of March Madness since it won the title in 2021.
Drew would like to get the Bears further than a second-round exit again. Whether he should actually be doing this or not, this is his job. He saw a legal (technically) opportunity to improve his team, and he took it.
Personally, I don't think Nnaji should ever check into a college basketball game. But if I were in Drew's place, I'd certainly be considering it. It's easier to have morals without any skin in the game.
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A 2025 graduate from Michigan State University, Cotsonika brings a wealth of experience covering the Spartans from Rivals and On3 to his role as Michigan State Spartans Beat Writer on SI. At Michigan State, he was also a member of the world-renowned Spartan marching band for two seasons.
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