College basketball is no stranger to change, but right now, it’s navigating a level of uncertainty that feels unprecedented. Between the ripple effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the explosion of name, image, and likeness (NIL) opportunities, the sport has become a battleground of eligibility debates, legal challenges, and roster chaos.
Players are staying in school longer, making more money, and in some cases, circling back from the professional ranks to rejoin the college game. That last part?
It’s where things are getting especially complicated.
We’re now seeing a new twist that few could have predicted: players who left their college teams to pursue G League opportunities - and even earned money doing so - are now trying to return to the NCAA. And in some cases, they’re succeeding.
Take London Johnson, for example. He left high school early to join the G League Ignite, but has since re-emerged on Louisville’s roster.
He hasn’t suited up yet, but his presence alone has raised eyebrows. Then there’s Baylor, who recently added James Nnaji, a 2023 NBA Draft pick who spent time in the NBA Summer League and played professionally overseas.
And now, the most high-profile case yet: Charles Bediako.
Bediako, who played at Alabama in 2023 before heading to the G League, found himself in a legal showdown with the NCAA after they blocked his return to college basketball. The rulebook on this is clear - once you’ve played professionally, especially in the NBA system, the door to the NCAA is supposed to be shut. But in Bediako’s case, a judge issued a temporary restraining order, allowing him to return - at least for now.
This is where the NCAA finds itself in a bind. Every time it tries to enforce its rules, the courts seem to push back.
And while the legal system plays out, coaches, administrators, and fans are left wondering what the future of college hoops even looks like. The NCAA, for its part, issued a strong statement, warning that these legal maneuvers are “taking away opportunities from high school students” and calling on Congress to step in and give college sports the authority to enforce eligibility rules.
But while the NCAA waits on Capitol Hill, some in the sport are already floating creative - and controversial - solutions.
Following Kentucky’s 85-80 win over Texas on Wednesday, Wildcats head coach Mark Pope offered what he called “my two cents” on the issue. And his suggestion? It’s bold.
Pope floated the idea that while teams might be allowed to use players with G League experience, the NCAA could simply refuse to recognize those wins when it comes to tournament selection. In other words, you can play whoever you want - but don’t expect those games to count toward your NCAA Tournament resume.
“The one stop gap that is kind of spreading right now, that maybe has some legs, is that the NCAA does get to decide who gets to go to the NCAA Tournament,” Pope said. “They get to decide that. They have that power.”
He’s not wrong. The NCAA Tournament is, at its core, an invitational.
The selection committee can weigh whatever criteria it sees fit. And if that includes excluding teams that use players who’ve been paid by professional leagues, that might be one way to restore some guardrails to a system that’s quickly spinning out of control.
“They’ve been very, very clear about the rules they’re going to try to enforce,” Pope added. “They might lose in court, but they still get to decide what games count towards the NCAA Tournament.”
It’s a fascinating - and potentially game-changing - idea. Imagine a team that wins enough games to be a clear No. 4 or No. 5 seed, only to be left out of the bracket because of who they played. That kind of decision would send shockwaves through the sport, but it also might be the only lever the NCAA has left to pull.
“I’m not saying that to penalize any team,” Pope emphasized. “I’m just saying that because at some point it is important that we take a stand and regain some tiny ounce of sanity.”
For Pope, the NCAA Tournament represents more than just a postseason event - it’s the heart of college basketball. And if the sport is going to preserve its identity, he believes this might be the place to draw the line.
“This game matters too much,” Pope said. “The NCAA Tournament is too extraordinary a deal.
These high school players and these young players and all these players matter too much. College basketball matters too much.”
It’s hard to argue with that. What we’re seeing now is a sport at a crossroads, trying to balance the rights of athletes with the integrity of the game. And while the courts, Congress, and the NCAA all wrestle with what comes next, voices like Pope’s are offering a reminder: this isn’t just about eligibility - it’s about preserving what makes college basketball special.