The NCAA’s rules-enforcement crisis continues to escalate.
In 2024, guard Amari Bailey played 10 games for the Hornets. In 2026, Bailey wants to play college basketball. Bailey—an All-Pac-12 tournament and Pac-12 All-Freshman performer at UCLA in 2023—is seeking the ability to return to college and play basketball and has retained legal representation to that end, he toldIf allowed to play, Bailey could potentially open a new front in the legal conflicts over eligibility that have dogged college basketball throughout the ‘26 season.
Ex-Pistons draftee center James Nnaji and ex-G League center Charles Bediako have suited up for Baylor and Alabama this season, respectively. These moves have proven unpopular with both fans and observers , but a cogent solution has yet to emerge, with the NCAA’s authority having been hacked away in court over the last decade and Congress busy with more important matters. "It's not a stunt," Bailey said. "I'm really serious about going back. I just want to improve my game, change the perception of me and just show that I can win." NCAA senior vice president of external affairs Tim Buckley told Murphy that “the NCAA has not and will not grant eligibility to any players who have signed an NBA contract;” Bediako’s deal was a two-way contract, and he won the temporary right to play in state court. Bailey, whose most recent basketball action came with the G League’s Iowa Wolves, told Murphy he does not have a specific team in mind to join.Patrick Andres is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in December 2022, having worked for The Blade, Athlon Sports, Fear the Sword and Diamond Digest. Andres has covered everything from zero-attendance Big Ten basketball to a seven-overtime college football game. He is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism with a double major in history .
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