Is College Basketball Cooked? Failed NBA Player Seeks NCAA Comeback

A former Charlotte Hornets guard is showing some regret about heading to the NBA after one year of college basketball.

Former UCLA standout Amari Bailey is testing the murky waters of college eligibility after playing just 10 games in the NBA.

Bailey, who was drafted by the Hornets in the second round of the 2023 NBA Draft, is seeking college eligibility, according to ESPN. He would be the first to go back to the NCAA ranks after playing in the NBA, but the outlet reports Bailey’s goal is to play one more collegiate season.

“Right now I’d be a senior in college,” the 21-year-old told ESPN. “I’m not trying to be 27 years old playing college athletics. No shade to the guys that do; that’s their journey. But I went to go play professionally and learned a lot, went through a lot. So, like, why not me?”

ESPN reports Bailey has hired an agent and a lawyer and is prepared to challenge the NCAA in court. Bailey left UCLA after one season when he averaged 11.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game during his freshman campaign.

So why go back now? After one season with the Hornets, Bailey joined the Brooklyn Nets organization, but ESPN indicated he was cut last summer by the Nets. He hasn’t played a single game this season.

“It’s not a stunt,” Bailey said to ESPN. “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.”

The state of college basketball has been at the forefront of some of the biggest names in the sport. Houston coach Kelvin Sampson said last October that college basketball is nothing but transactional these days.

“We’re still in an educational institution, but there is nothing educational about college basketball right now. It’s all transactional. And we all put our heads in the sand,” Sampson said.

Bailey’s fight to play college hoops again comes after another fellow 2023 second-round pick, James Nnaji, joined Baylor’s team. NCAA president Charlie Baker said 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).”

Unlike Bailey, Nnaji never signed an NBA contract. He only played during NBA Summer League games last year after spending years with the FC Barcelona basketball team.

In Tuscaloosa, Charles Bediako returned to play for Alabama after playing for the Crimson Tide during the 2022-2023 season. He ended up going undrafted, but did sign a two-way deal with the San Antonio Spurs in 2023.

How did he get around the NCAA rules? A judge granted a temporary restraining order to allow Bediako to return to Alabama and play for the Crimson Tide.

Bailey is aiming for a return next season, per ESPN, provided his potential team petitions the NCAA for a waiver to allow him to play. If that waiver is denied, Bailey and his legal team can file a lawsuit.