Oscar
- Thread starter BlueBlood96Cat
- Start date
No, unfortunately.
And most of anyone else you’d want isn’t either.
And most of anyone else you’d want isn’t either.
UNLESS…Orlando Tubby Smith just happens to find a fax proving Oscar’s twin brother played 15 games in the NBA and Oscar himself never really did. I’m just sayin……..
Is playing in the NBA an actual reason why he cannot come back, or is that just a guess? Because before seeing that player drafted last year come back to college, I wouldn't have guessed you could do that either.
Has to be within something like five years of their high school class and cannot sign an actual contract with an NBA team. Being drafted does not equal NBA contract. Njaji was a unique situation because, despite being drafted, he never signed NBA contact. They discuss this on the KSR Happy Hour episode today.
No, he’s played NBA games and been a g league member the entire time. The one dude for Baylor has played in Europe the whole time and has never signed an NBA deal.
Oscar has a twin brother named Toscar who happens to be the same kinda player.
If this is the automatic disqualifier, then it doesn’t have much internal logic considering that the NCAA IS now allowing pros who’ve played in overseas professional leagues (and also the G-League).
So what’s the difference? A pro is a pro. The NBA is obviously a higher level, but it is still at essence the same thing as the other pro leagues. So why should playing in one be a disqualifier but not the others?
Posted by dynastydreamuk in the Pope adding a "veteran" PG thread:
The rules for college teams taking players from the **NBA G League** have undergone a radical shift in 2024 and 2025. What was once a "hard no" for the NCAA is now a growing trend of midseason transfers and "returning pros."
Historically, playing for the G League meant you were a professional and had permanently forfeited your "amateur" status. However, a series of recent NCAA eligibility rulings (and legal pressures) have created a new pathway.
### **The Three Main "Loophole" Rules**
The NCAA has moved away from a strict "did you get paid?" rule and now looks at a combination of these factors:
* **The "Actual and Necessary Expenses" Rule:** The NCAA now argues that most G League salaries (averaging around \$40,000) essentially cover the costs of living and training. If a player made more than what the NCAA deems "necessary," they may be asked to pay back the difference to a charity, but they are no longer automatically banned.
* **The Five-Year Clock:** A player must still be within five years of their high school graduation to be eligible for NCAA play. This is why you see 21- or 22-year-olds returning, but not older veterans.
* **The NBA Draft Status:** This is the most critical hurdle. Generally, if a player **signed an actual NBA contract** or went through the NBA Draft and was signed, they are still considered ineligible. However, if they played in the G League (especially the now-defunct G League Ignite) without ever being drafted or signed to the "big league," the NCAA is increasingly granting them eligibility.
### **Midseason "Plucking" (A New Trend)**
In late 2025, we have seen a surge in "midseason additions" where college teams sign players directly from professional environments in December or January to help with injuries or roster depth.
* **Case Study (2025):** **James Nnaji**, a former NBA second-round pick, was recently granted four years of eligibility to play for **Baylor** midseason. Because he had played overseas and in the G League Summer League but never signed a formal NBA contract, he was cleared to play.
* **Case Study (2025):** **London Johnson** and **Thierry Darlan** (both G League Ignite alums) were cleared to play for Louisville and Santa Clara, respectively, because the NCAA determined their professional experience was "developmental" rather than purely professional.
### **Why Is This Happening Now?**
1. **NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness):** Since college players can now make millions, the NCAA can no longer argue that a G League player making \$40k is "more professional" than a college star making \$1M.
2. **Legal Threats:** The NCAA has lost several court cases regarding eligibility and transfers. They are currently hesitant to deny eligibility to G Leaguers for fear of being sued for "restraint of trade."
3. **The Death of G League Ignite:** When the NBA shut down the Ignite program (the specific team for high schoolers going pro), it left many young players in a "limbo" that the NCAA decided to fix by letting them into college.
---
### **Summary Table**
| Feature | Old Rule | New Rule (2025) |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| **Salary** | Any pay = Ineligible | Pay is okay if it covers "necessary expenses" |
| **G League Experience** | Permanent ban | Allowed (if within 5 years of HS) |
| **NBA Draft** | Usually ends eligibility | Still a barrier, but "draft-and-stash" players are being cleared |
| **Transfer Timing** | Must wait for the next season | Midseason additions are becoming common |
So if a player played an NBA game at all they aren't an option. Or if they made a considerable amount of money over expenses. So like Oscar made alot while he was playing g league games, none the less he is ineligible as he played a couple real NBA games. He had a 2 way contract.
I get that, but I’m still not following the logic of why?
There’s a huge logical inconsistency with the NCAA applying these rules only to the NBA but no longer to the overseas professional leagues. Why should what country one played his pro ball in make a difference? He’s still a pro.
The original purpose of these rules was to maintain the now obsolete notion of amateurism. Well, that’s now a farce. Everybody recruits pros now. So why discriminate against one league but not the others in terms of where they can be recruited from?
Eventually the NCAA may have to answer that question in Court. And I doubt they’ll have a logically coherent answer.
Did Aaron Harrison ever play in the NBA? I know that Andrew did but dont think Aaron actually made it. Would he be elgible?
Yes.
Aaron Harrison Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more | Basketball-Reference.com
Checkout the latest stats of Aaron Harrison. Get info about his position, age, height, weight, draft status, shoots, school and more on Basketball-Reference.com
www.basketball-reference.com
"Neccesary expenses" lol.. thats gonna be the NCAAs wiggle room to allow some programs to do this, but not others. Their threshold amount is probably whatever Enes Kanter made in Turkey.
