For all the confusion surrounding James Nnaji’s return to college basketball, one thing has become increasingly clear: even coaches inside the system don’t seem to understand where the line is anymore. And during his latest media appearance, Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo made sure everyone knew exactly how he felt about it.

After a former coach claimed that the NCAA is finished, Coach Izzo, responding to Nnaji’s eligibility at Baylor and the hope that he’ll be cleared to play in January, admitted he’s still trying to wrap his head around how the decision came together, and who it actually benefits.

“I don’t know the whole situation. I’m a little disappointed. Scott [Drew] is a good friend of mine. And he was on the committees and didn’t seem to be leaning in that. But what’s happened at three or four schools right now, I mean, I just asked. I just asked, and all these people write all these things about me, and they are all wrong. So you know, they wanna talk about what coaches can do what they want they said,” Tom Izzo said.

He then added, “I’m still talking strictly not for the program for the kid. So I asked Coen, “Would you be okay if I went and got Miles, brought him back? And I sat you?” I mean, you laugh, but that’s what we are doing. Somebody’s sitting. Somebody’s not playing. You know, I just don’t think that’s fair for the players. Some of them you know worked their butt off to get to this position, and maybe things didn’t go right. I’m a little surprised. I gotta call Scott. I am anxious to see what he tells me. I mean, if that’s where we are going to, shame on the NCAA. Shame on the coaches, too.”

The controversy stems from Baylor’s recent commitment to the No. 31 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, who re-entered the NCAA after spending time in the professional basketball ecosystem. Although Nnaji was drafted and spent time in the professional ecosystem overseas, he never signed an NBA contract or logged a regular-season NBA or G League appearance.

That technical distinction allowed the NCAA to grant him full eligibility, clearing the way for Nnaji to join Scott Drew’s Baylor program midseason, a decision that has sparked widespread confusion and backlash across the college basketball landscape.

But this wasn’t the first time Tom Izzo went off against the NCAA decision. Just a few days ago, as per the NY Times, he said, “This just goes to show you how ridiculous people that are in power make decisions. I’m not real excited about the NCAA or who’s making these decisions without talking to us; (they’re) just letting it go because they’re afraid they’re going to get sued.”

And if the confusion coupled with frustration has coaches scratching their heads, the response from fans has been even more intense.

Fans rally behind Tom Izzo

As Tom Izzo’s comments went viral, fans took to the comments section, with many applauding the Michigan State head coach for publicly challenging the NCAA’s direction.

“This is why we love izzo he isn’t afraid to speak against the ncaa🔥,” one fan wrote, while another added, “Im glad he’s saying something this is getting out of hand.” Others used the moment to push for structural change, with one blunt reaction reading, “The NCAA needs an age limit!!!”

Nnaji’s NBA rights, currently held by the New York Knicks after being traded twice, remain intact. He has appeared in NBA Summer League games, played professionally in Europe, and fully entered the pro pipeline. Yet, in the eyes of the NCAA, he was a “draft-and-stash” player. Because he never signed a rookie deal, he never officially became an NBA player. And while he played in the NBA Summer League, the NCAA views it as an exhibition.

To see things from Izzo’s perspective, put yourself in his shoes for a second and think: A 7-foot, 250-pound professional prospect with a 7-foot-7 wingspan, fully formed and fully experienced suiting up against college competition in the middle of the season.

And his frustration becomes clearer when you imagine the precedent this could set. What if Cooper Flagg decides to play again in the college leagues? It wouldn’t make sense, right?

But the NCAA’s fear of litigation has increasingly pushed it toward case-by-case exceptions rather than firm rule enforcement.

However, at the same time, fans were careful to separate their frustration with the NCAA from Baylor’s role in the situation. Several made it clear that Scott Drew’s program was simply operating within the framework it was given. “Not baylors fault,” one fan commented, while another echoed the same sentiment: “It’s literally playing by the rules.”

The split reaction underscored the larger tension at play, outrage toward NCAA governance paired with an understanding that programs like Baylor are navigating a system filled with loopholes, not creating them. And in that chaos, Tom Izzo’s willingness to say the quiet part out loud only seemed to strengthen his standing among fans who feel college basketball is drifting further from clarity.

Whether this decision reshapes college basketball for the better or accelerates its growing identity crisis remains to be seen.