“I don’t want any pros on my team because you talk about connectivity and you take one guy from a different place, you put him in that locker room, and it changes the dynamic,” George Mason head coach Tony Skinn told the media after a win against Penn back in December. “We don’t have that problem, and we won’t.”
Despite Skinn’s postgame remarks just six months ago, it was reported on July 2 that the Patriots had received a commitment from 7-foot transfer James Nnaji.
For those unfamiliar with Nnaji’s journey to college basketball, he’s become the focal point for a controversial saga about the development of the NCAA, NIL and eligibility. It all began back in 2023 when he was selected 31st overall by the Detroit Pistons in that offseason’s NBA Draft as a rising prospect playing in Europe.
Though Nnaji never actually ventured stateside for his NBA debut outside of a few Summer League appearances, he won a Liga ACA Championship with FC Barcelona and even played 51 games in the esteemed EuroLeague. Meanwhile, his NBA rights were passed from the Pistons to the Charlotte Hornets and later, the New York Knicks alongside future NBA Champion Karl-Anthony Towns in a three-team trade.
He might not have played in the NBA, but by just about every metric Nnaji was a professional basketball player who had played in some of the top leagues and competitions around the world. That is, until it was announced on Dec. 24, 2025, that Nnaji had been granted four years of eligibility by the NCAA and committed to Scott Drew’s Baylor Bears.
That’s the context with which we get this quote from Skinn: a reporter asked about the trend of pros looking for opportunities in college basketball literally four days after Baylor’s signing of Nnaji. An offseason later and it’s Skinn’s Patriots bringing that same exact former pro into their locker room.
Now there’s definitely some nuance within this quote and one could argue it’s difficult to tell whether Skinn is implying a mid-season addition changes the dynamic vs. an actual former pro. But as MMM’s resident A10 reporter, I couldn’t help feeling just a little disappointed seeing Skinn’s quote six months later as reports emerged of Nnaji’s signing in Fairfax.
Not disappointed at George Mason and Skinn for taking advantage of the given situation and doing what it takes to win in this modern era of college basketball. Adaptation is critical to competing at the highest level of the sport. So you can’t blame somebody for working within the set guidelines.
But disappointed at the rules and regulations set forth by the NCAA that allow former pros to apply for eligibility and that it’s now starting to seep into programs within the mid-major ranks. In fact, I’d argue it’s not worth being upset or mad at Skinn and Nnaji in the slightest, but instead at the governing body that’s policing its eligibility requirements in such a manner.
Of course, George Mason isn’t the only program benefiting from what feels like a loop hole in the system, but Nnaji and Baylor were one of last season’s early adopters.
Charles Bediako played five games for Alabama in 2025-26 under a temporary restraining order after stints with three different G League teams and signing multiple two-way NBA contracts.
London Johnson was granted a year of eligibility by the NCAA following four years in the G League. After redshirting at Louisville in 2025-26, he’s set to make his debut for the Cardinals next season.
Toni Bilić was signed by Illinois in late Dec. 2025 despite making more than 25 appearances in Croatia’s top league for KK Cedevita Junior Zagreb. Though he never appeared for the Illini and garnered the redshirt tag as well, he remains actively available in the transfer portal this offseason.
Santa Clara in the WCC and head coach Herb Sendek took a shot at Thierry Darlan after stints in the Basketball Africa League and in the G League. More recently, MAC-newcomer UMass welcomed in BYU transfer Abdullah Ahmed who arrived in college basketball having played 54 career games for the Westchester Knicks.
All this recent growth surrounding the transfer portal has placed even more of an emphasis on experience and age within college basketball. Freshman recruiting classes for programs are getting smaller as coaches instead search for older and more developed players via the portal each and every offseason.
That’s ultimately what’s led college coaches to actively search for potential pro players to add to their rosters. Why not bring in a 21-year-old who’s played a few years in the G League or overseas when the alternative is an 18-year-old who’s only played at the high school or prep level?
I’m a proponent of NIL and the transfer portal. It’s easy to see the benefit that both can have on the sport and college athletics in general. But the NCAA needs a major restructure on its eligibility requirements because allowing pro players to participate is antithetical to what the majority of college athletes actually stand for.
Skinn might have been talking about his own locker room back on Dec. 28 when he said adding a professional player onto his team would change the dynamic of everything. But it may as well have been about the sport of college basketball as a whole because the NCAA is setting a dangerous precedent that might truly change the dynamic of everything.
