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Former UCLA standout Amari Bailey said he is attempting to become the first basketball player to return to college after playing in NBA games. Bailey, 21, has hired an agent and a lawyer to prepare to fight for NCAA eligibility with hopes to join a college team and play one more season.
He said he started to explore a return to college earnestly in 2025 but has wondered if there was a way back to the NCAA since the day he was drafted in 2023. He said he made some mistakes as an 18-year-old freshman and left UCLA with "a lot to prove left on the table." "Right now I'd be a senior in college," Bailey 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?"
Ex-Alabama player Charles Bediako, who has spent the past 2 1/2 years competing in the NBA Summer League and G League, had his college eligibility temporarily reinstated Wednesday by a judge who blocked the NCAA from retaliating for his return to the 17th-ranked Tide. Bediako had signed several NBA developmental contracts since going undrafted in 2023. He played two seasons (2021-23) at Alabama, averaging 6.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocks a game, and helped the Crimson Tide make the NCAA Tournament twice.
Nicole Auerbach: NCAA president Charlie Baker: “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).”
NCAA president Charlie Baker: “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).”
— Nicole Auerbach (@nauerbach.com) 2025-12-30T19:36:30.983Z
Mavericks co-interim general manager Matt Riccardi, then in his role as assistant GM, told Nembhard's co-agent Jaafar Choufani as far back as Chicago that they would be trying to acquire a pick so they could draft Nembhard themselves. But Riccardi also assured Choufani early in the process, more than once, that a two-way contract would definitely be waiting for the NCAA assist leader in Dallas if no one drafted him. League sources say it was the only iron-clad promise of a two-way contract that Nembhard received after averaging 10.5 points, 9.8 assists and 1.7 steals for Gonzaga as a senior.
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The 18-year-old confirmed his intention of playing in the NCAA next year, leaving Partizan after this season. "I've had college offers since my sophomore year. I have 25 offers now, and I'm supposed to go to college next year. I'm not turning any of them down, just waiting," Miikka Muurinen said.
He added that the overall structure and player makeup of the G League should largely remain unchanged. At the same time, he expects the new European league to attract significant international talent. "I think the composition and mix of the players in the G League will remain the same. And the European talent that is there today — I think we're going to attract a lot of that European talent as well," he noted. Tatum also suggested that the new league could reduce the growing trend of international players choosing the NCAA because of NIL money.
The NCAA banned three Division I college basketball players by permanently revoking their eligibility on Wednesday, saying they had bet on their own games at Fresno State and San Jose State and were able to share thousands of dollars in payouts.
The NCAA Committee on Infractions released findings from an enforcement investigation that uncovered violations by Mykell Robinson, Steven Vasquez and Jalen Weaver. The NCAA said the three bet on one another’s games and/or provided information that enabled others to do so during the 2024-25 regular season; two of them manipulated their performances to ensure certain bets were won.
Tim Reynolds: Mario Chalmers - High school state champion, twice - NCAA champion - NBA champion, twice - Champions League champion - Big 3 champion Hall of Fame.
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The Celtics have signed Hayden Gray to a contract with the Maine Celtics, a source told CelticsBlog. He led the NCAA in steals last season, averaging 10.1 points, 3.3 assists, and 3.1 steals per game for UC San Diego. Gray was a member of the Celtics’ Summer League team and appeared in one game this summer, a 101-80 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday night. In that game, he tallied 7 points (3-4 FG), 2 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block in 20 minutes. He stole a pass less than a minute after checking into the game.
Michael Scotto: Just In: Former Utah Jazz executive Chuck Terrell has accepted an offer to become general manager of the Georgia Tech men’s basketball program, agent Andy Miller of Klutch Sports Group told @hoopshype. Terrell was most recently Jazz Vice President of Basketball Intelligence.
Talia Goodman: NEWS: South Carolina athletic director Jeremiah Donati confirmed to @On3sports that the New York Knicks did reach out to Dawn Staley about the opening. “If I were them, I would have called her, too,” Donati told @On3sports.
Jon Chepkevich: Vanderbilt’s AJ Hoggard will join the New Orleans Pelicans for NBA Summer League, I’m told. The 6’3 ¾" guard averaged 8.8 PTS, 4.6 AST, 2.7 REB across five NCAA seasons. Playmaking guard with positional size who led NCAA DI in AST% in 2022 and earned back-to-back PIT nods.