The Big Ten’s new basketball eligibility rule is aimed at players who have crossed clearly into the pro game, but Indiana center Sam Alexis does not appear to be one of them.
The conference announced Monday that men’s and women’s basketball players who have signed a professional contract with the NBA, G-League or WNBA - or any team in those leagues - will not be allowed to keep eligibility at a Big Ten school. The rule also applies to players who were on an NBA, G-League or WNBA roster at any point, as well as those who declared for the NBA or WNBA Draft and did not withdraw or say they were returning to college within the required window.
“The conference continues to evaluate potential rules restricting professional athletes in other sports from conference competition.”
But based on The Daily Hoosier’s understanding of the situation, Alexis is not expected to be affected by the change.
Alexis is pursuing a fifth season through the courts after the NCAA left class of 2022 athletes out of its 5-for-5 rule. He played in NBA Summer League for the Oklahoma City Thunder, but that alone does not necessarily put him in the group targeted by the Big Ten’s new policy. Many Summer League participants never sign a formal contract and instead receive a per diem that covers out-of-pocket expenses, and Alexis is likely in that category.
He has never been on an official professional roster, and he never declared for the NBA Draft. Instead, he was automatically enrolled after what was viewed as exhausting his eligibility.
If the court ruling stays on its current track and the Big Ten guidance holds, Alexis should remain eligible for Indiana in 2026-27.
His lone season with the Hoosiers was a productive one and left a mark in the record book. Alexis posted a 68.7 field goal percentage, the best single-season mark in IU history for a player with at least 100 attempts.
After transferring from Florida, he appeared in all 32 games and moved into the starting lineup for the final 23. He averaged 8.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.2 blocks in 21.3 minutes per game.
Alexis also shot a career-best 72.5% from the free throw line, went for a team-high 50 dunks, had 13 games with at least 10 points and reached at least eight rebounds in eight games.
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