NCAA president clarifies eligibility, closing door on Trentyn Flowers’ college return

Over the past week, debate around NCAA eligibility has picked up after former NBA Draft pick James Nnaji was cleared to sign with Baylor, reopening questions about the rules governing players with professional experience. That development has since drawn attention to Chicago Bulls player Trentyn Flowers, with speculation growing about whether he could also pursue a path back to college basketball under the same framework.

NCAA president Charlie Baker stepped in to draw clear lines, directly outlining who can still qualify for college basketball and which routes the NCAA will not allow under its current eligibility rules.

“The NCAA has not and will not grant eligibility to any prospective or returning student-athletes who have signed an NBA contract (including a two-way contract). As schools are increasingly recruiting individuals with international league experience, the NCAA is exercising discretion in applying the actual and necessary expenses bylaw to ensure that prospective student-athletes with experience in American basketball leagues are not at a disadvantage compared to their international counterparts,” said the NCAA president via ESPN’s Jeff Borzello.

Trentyn Flowers in the NBA

Unlike Nnaji, Flowers has already logged real NBA minutes and built a sizable résumé in the G League. The 20-year-old put up 20.0 points and 5.1 rebounds last season with the Clippers G League affiliate, then followed that up by averaging nearly 14.0 points and 7.0 rebounds during the recent G League Tip Off Tournament, underscoring just how much professional experience he already carries.

It is also worth noting that Flowers has never played a college game. Although he originally committed to Louisville and ranked among the top high school recruits in the country, he chose to play professionally in Australia instead, later going undrafted in 2024 and spending time at the NBA level. Even so, once a player enters the NBA system, they have traditionally been viewed as ineligible to return to college basketball.

Recent changes to NIL policies and eligibility standards have sparked a wider debate across college basketball and college sports more broadly, raising new questions about who should and should not be allowed to compete at the collegiate level.

“While the NCAA has prevailed on the vast majority of eligibility-related lawsuits, recent outlier decisions enjoining the NCAA on a nationwide basis from enforcing rules that have been on the books for decades — without even having a trial — are wildly destabilizing,” Baker continued.

It now appears unlikely that the Bulls forward will be joining a college program anytime in the near future.

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