Baylor Basketball

Baylor Adds Midseason Transfer, James Nnaji, to Help Bolster Big Man Rotation

Baylor’s men basketball has received a commitment from Nigerian center James Nnaji.
By Ashley Hodge
December 24, 2025
11k Views
20 Comments
Story Poster
Photo by Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

Baylor men’s basketball has received a commitment from Nigerian center James Nnaji, a 7-foot-0, 250-pound big man who will be a midseason transfer. He is expected to be able to play for the Bears either in their final non-conference game on Dec. 29 or at the start of the second semester in January.

It’s an unprecedented move considering that Nnaji was selected 31st overall by the Detroit Pistons in the 2023 NBA Draft. Nnaji’s draft rights were traded to Charlotte, as he played on the Hornets’ Summer League Team. In 2024, his rights were traded to the New York Knicks, along with star big man Karl-Anthony Towns, as part of a three-team trade. Nnaji played on the Knicks’ Summer League team in 2025.

Nnaji, however, has never played in an NBA game, but is another case study in pushing back the curtain on the NCAA’s powers, especially after it was determined that G-League players could return to play college basketball.

As Yahoo Sports put it, “The trend is a byproduct of the NCAA’s definition of amateurism loosening as college athletes have gained economic freedom. The line between pro and college athlete has blurred with the NCAA permitting athletes to profit from NIL deals.”

Nnaji spent time with FC Barcelona from 2020 to 2024 before being loaned to Girona of the Spanish Liga ACB, where he averaged 5.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 0.8 blocks per game across 14 games.

He then finished the 2024-2025 season with Merkezefendi of the Basketbol Super Ligi in Turkey, averaging 7.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in eight contests.

Baylor was forced to explore a midseason transfer because it had just one healthy big man on the roster, senior Caden Powell. Nnaji, who boasts a 7-foot-7 wingspan, should be another impactful big man as conference play heats up.

High Point transfer center Juslin Bodo Bodo was injured in the offseason and is now expected to redshirt. True freshmen bigs Maikcol Perez (ACL) and Mayo Soyoye (redshirt) are both out for the year as well.

Nnaji is just 21 years old, and will have four years of eligibility. He has no relation to former Arizona star and current Denver Nugget Zeke Nnaji.

20 Comments
Tags
James Nnaji Basketball
More Basketball
See All →
Let's Chat: Portal Decisions Keep Coming, New Hires Finalizing
By Grayson Grundhoefer
Postgame Presser: Scott Drew & Players Talk Blowout Win Over Southern
By SicEm365 Staff
71-Point Second Half Lifts Bears Past Southern, 111-67
By Jack Mackenzie
Postgame Podcast & Thoughts: Baylor 111, Southern 67
By Ashley Hodge
Discussion from...

Baylor Adds Midseason Transfer, James Nnaji, to Help Bolster Big Man Rotation

4,240 Views | 20 Replies | Last: 5 min ago by Big12Fan2024
Calrocks94
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
1:22p
Wild wild world how in the world is the guy that was drafted two years ago eligible crazy how sports are but welcome
Reply Quote
2
Bearsalwayswin
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
1:26p
natty loading…..
Reply Quote
2
Crawfoso1973
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
1:26p
Great get! Perfect fit for what we need!
Reply Quote
3
boognish_bear
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
1:30p
This is all so strange to me… but if Baylor is playing the rules to their advantage good for them.

Sicem Nnaji
Reply Quote
3
1 edit
boognish_bear
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
1:31p
Does anyone know the rules on these midseason roster changes?

Is there a time limit when you can add a new player? Could a team add a new player in March?
Reply Quote
1
Quinton
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
1:36p
The guy was a first round pick that never got time in the league? Was he a pick and stow away type guy?

No clue how good he is but his upside had to be good at one point. If he thrives this could change things. Now if we're going all out, pick up a strong g league pg and win a title.
Reply Quote
2
1 edit
Ewalker80
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
1:47p
Baylor is about to be the most dunkalicious team in the country. My goodness. Go buy some tickets.
Reply Quote
2
boognish_bear
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
1:48p
Reading through the comments…the haters are coming out.

I can't really say that I blame them... if it happened with another team besides BU I would be thinking this doesn't really sound right.

It's just the new way of the college athletics world I guess...


Reply Quote
2
boognish_bear
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
1:51p
Not sure how much Doug McNamee played a role in this.

If this was one of his first big moves props to him...two claps.
Reply Quote
2
Big12Fan2024
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
1:56p
I love it!!!! I hope Drew and every other coach push the absurdity so far to the point that someone has to step in and define what college athletics are going to be.

In the meantime, we finally have another big body in the middle which is one of the main pieces we were missing! Sic em James!
Reply Quote
1
1 edit
Big12Fan2024
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to boognish_bear • 1:58p
If he hate watches us then he should hate watch a lot of programs this year. BYU just had a 7 footer step out of the G league and into a uniform two nights ago. Same with Louisville.
Reply Quote
2
BUBradley
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
2:00p


Highlights!

Dude is an animal
Reply Quote
boognish_bear
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to Big12Fan2024 • 2:02p
Big12Fan2024 said:
If he hate watches us then he should hate watch a lot of programs this year. BYU just had a 7 footer step out of the G league and into a uniform two nights ago. Same with Louisville.


This Baylor move really seems to be getting even more attention. Looking at all the comments it's drawing from different accounts on Twitter it's really struck a nerve.

Maybe because this guy was actually drafted? I'm not sure about the other additions teams that have made a similar move this year if any of them had been previously drafted.
Reply Quote
1
Big12Fan2024
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to boognish_bear • 2:12p
It's all the same. The minute players started getting paid, it became professional sports, whether someone has been drafted or not. And, as Drew said in his interview the other day, professional sports have in-season roster changes. If it's professional sports, then it's professional sports so people need to stop trying to isolate it down to just pay. You can't just isolate one segment of professional sports and say Oh, that's okay but then be offended when other commonalities of professional sports start rising to the top as well. It's all part of the same system so the minute the first dollar went out then the NCAA and everyone else should be prepared for everything else that comes with it.

That's why I'm glad Drew and any other coach takes advantage of it now. It's probably the only way to force some type of action to be taken from a governance perspective that finally defines what college athletics are going to be.
Reply Quote
1
1 edit
BUBradley
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
2:14p
"High Point transfer center Juslin Bodo Bodo was injured in the offseason and is now expected to redshirt."

I'm glad this can be put to rest now.
Reply Quote
3
boognish_bear
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to Big12Fan2024 • 2:23p
Big12Fan2024 said:
It's all the same. The minute players started getting paid, it became professional sports, whether someone has been drafted or not. And, as Drew said in his interview the other day, professional sports have in-season roster changes. If it's professional sports, then it's professional sports so people need to stop trying to isolate it down to just pay. You can't just isolate one segment of professional sports and say Oh, that's okay but then be offended when other commonalities of professional sports start rising to the top as well. It's all part of the same system so the minute the first dollar went out then the NCAA and everyone else should be prepared for everything else that comes with it.

That's why I'm glad Drew and any other coach takes advantage of it now. It's probably the only way to force some type of action to be taken from a governance perspective that finally defines what college athletics are going to be.


Yep...just to be clear...I'm not upset with BU here. They are taking advantage of existing rules that any other team could as well. Seems like we have been behind the curve adapting to the NIL world...but here's an example of us playing it to our favor.

It's just really strange times now in college athletics and it just seems to be getting stranger.

Like...did we have the option in football in the early Fall when we lost several key players on defense to go out and try and find some players to bring in. I know football is not like basketball with not having so many semi-pro leagues with available players already in existence...but would that have theoretically been an option?
Reply Quote
1
Big12Fan2024
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to boognish_bear • 2:32p
No, Boog. Never thought you did. Was indirectly referencing all the complaints I'm seeing on social media right now. It's hilarious because I'm mainly seeing BYU and Louisville fans upset and commenting, and the only difference is their player got paid in pro basketball actually playing G league games and just didn't submit for the draft because they weren't good enough. I saw Gonzaga complaining, yet they have a 27 year old starting for them. I saw Kentucky fans complaining, yet they allegedly have a roster that cost more than $25 million according to multiple reliable sources. It's all absurd.

I hate the new world of college athletics with no definition of hardly anything. And it doesn't appear the NCAA is even trying to remotely start trying to define anything. So I'm hoping stuff like this forces someone to step in and take over because the NCAA sure isn't.

In the meantime, I'm all giddy because Santa delivered us a BIG Christmas gift!

Reply Quote
2
Big12Fan2024
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
2:35p


Reply Quote
2
boognish_bear
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
2:39p
I don't foresee either of these things happening… but it would be funny if Texas Tech in football and Baylor in basketball both won a natty this year using these new NIL options.

Something like that happening would definitely hasten guardrails being put in place.
Reply Quote
2
Big12Fan2024
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to BUBradley • 2:51p
BUBradley said:
"High Point transfer center Juslin Bodo Bodo was injured in the offseason and is now expected to redshirt."

I'm glad this can be put to rest now.

The beauty of this is that now we should have 2 returning bigs coming off redshirts in Bodo Bodo and Soyoye, and potentially a 3rd coming back depending on James Nnaji's aspirations. To have 3 bigs already on the roster would be a complete luxury and give Drew all kinds of flexibility when combing the transfer portal next Spring for other team additions.
Reply Quote
Refresh
Page 1 of 1
 
×
subscribe Verify your student status
See Subscription Benefits
Trial only available to users who have never subscribed or participated in a previous trial.